War of the Rights
by Brianna Reiss
Summary: After the Mad King's War, Ike was crowned King of Daein. Three years after his coronation, Pelleas, a messenger from Renais comes to him to ask Daein's assistance against Grado, an empire who mistreats Laguz at every corner. "Spoilers for FE6 through 10"
1. The Messenger of Renais

CHAPTER 1 :

THE MESSENGER OF RENAIS

After the Mad King's War, Ike was crowned King of Daein (much against his wishes, because the Begnion Senate thrust the throne to him). The Greil Mercenaries remained at his side; however, then-Princess Mist became the High Priestess stationed in the Palmeni Temple. Gatrie became the chief of the Palace Guard, and, as such, he could take on romantic relationships with any female courtesan he wanted. Shinon was assigned the lower city to guard, and Oscar became the commander of the Daein Royal House Knights, who were assigned to the Royal House. Mia still fights at His Majesty's side. And Soren? He was assigned to the Royal Library and was allowed to pursue his arcane research without any hassle from anyone (except perhaps for the King himself). Three years after the actual end of the Mad King's War...

Boyd and Rolf were on guard duty and they spotted a travelling mage flying a white flag. Boyd, at the gate of the city, spotted the peculiar man, who wore a white cape, despite his black garments.

Boyd asked him, "Sir, what is your purpose in this city?"

The unknown traveller replied, "I have a message to deliver to your King. Is he in residence in the palace up there now?"

Rolf also asked what is his name and what his job is. To this, the unknown traveller replied, "Pelleas. I have been sent here by the King of Renais, Fado."

Boyd told him that he doesn't know where he comes from, but Pelleas was allowed to enter the city, having to sleep at Calill's inn, with free bread and butter. However, he really wasn't interested in bread and butter. He went straight for the innkeeper's counter, with something important in mind. Pelleas asked her, "How can I get an audience scheduled with the King?"

Calill replied with a question, "Why is that so?"

Pelleas told her he came from another continent. Calill, puzzled by his answer, just asked, "Another continent? Weren't all other continents flooded in the Great Flood?"

Pelleas explained her that the "Great Flood" is just a myth. It is true that there was a flood but it did not completely flood all continents except for Tellius. Then, he told Calill, "I come from a Magvel beorc nation, on behalf of the United Nations. I came here to suggest that Daein joins the U.N. because of what the king currently does to protect laguz and the rights of the peasantry."

Calill, even more puzzled, asked, "And how the U.N. works?"

Pelleas answered, "As I know it, it is an organization dedicated to maintain peace and to protect the rights of humanity (beorc and laguz alike)."

Calill, with her mind cleared up, said, "Oh! I see that the gate guardians already scheduled an audience for you tomorrow. Their protocol demands that any diplomatic envoys, such as you, be received without delay. Unfortunately, since the King is asleep, it's scheduled for tomorrow."

Pelleas warned, with a solemn tone, "If your claims are correct, you also are a world-class mage… if the King accepts what we, the United Nations, have to offer, we have work for you."

Then Largo shows him the way to his room, which is nothing more than a normal bedroom with a cot on the side of the window. And a storage coffer, in which he stows his clothes, books, parchments and gold away, in a small leather pouch. He also thinks of the possible outcomes of the diplomatic meeting of tomorrow.

Breakfast was the time for the free bread and butter this inn was famous for. He ate three slices of bread before he went for the "long" march to the palace. Of course, as he booked for two nights, he left his belongings in his inn room. And Calill came along as well, because no one else could support his claims. Within the dark, smelly streets of Nevassa, they pressed on during an hour and a half to finally arrive at the gates of the palace, with a map of Magvel at hand. A Swordmaster came at the duet to ask what they are doing at the palace. Calill briefly recognized her because they fought alongside the Crimean army in the Mad King's War. Mia asked what their business in the palace was.

Pelleas replied, "I have a message for your King! I was sent here by the king of Renais, Fado!"

Mia, puzzled, asked, "Renais? Fado? What's this trickery? Your audience is scheduled in two hours. For the time being, please wait in the line."

Pelleas took his Renaisian standard out and the attention of everyone else in the waiting room was turned to the crest flown by this unknown nation. Everyone was genuinely curious about Renais and what happens there to need an urgent attention from King Daein at the other side of the sea.

Tauroneo asked, "You say that your kingdom has been invaded by an empire who summons demons to do their bidding? What kind of demons?" Pelleas answered that the demons the Grado Empire summoned were quite varied: Entombeds, Mogalls, Maunthe Doogs, maybe even Zombie Dragon Laguz!

Tauroneo, shocked, said, "Zombie Dragon Laguz? This Emperor Vigarde of yours must be crushed! I cannot stand what he does! That's even worse than Ashnard when he lived!" Pelleas replied, "We ask your King to supply laguz weapons, for we have no way to kill Zombie Dragon Laguz without these special weapons." The guards then brought and announced the diplomat to the throne room, who was lavishly sculpted and also had a red carpet leading to the actual throne.

Gatrie announced, "Your Majesty, the Renaisian diplomat has arrived."

Pelleas bows and kneels before the King, as etiquette suggests. Then he gets straightened up, and then the talks can begin. King Ike asked Pelleas what he came here for.

Pelleas told the King, "My kingdom at the other side of the sea, Renais, humbly asks your country to supply us with laguz weapons, since our country is being overrun by the forces of Grado! The United Nations need your help to fight the enemy back!"

Ike convoked the Kingdom Council. As for Pelleas, he was to remain in the throne room until the Kingdom Council arrives. The Kingdom Council is comprised of six people, and it is led by the King himself. However, when the King is not available, the Prime Minister, Soren, presides over the Kingdom Council's meetings.

Pelleas showed them a map of Magvel, who was quite detailed for the looks of it. (He points an area in north-eastern Frelia). This is where the United Nations have their headquarters, Onrac. An eventual army would be going out at sea for months, the Kingdom Council had to take a decision quickly.

Soren, perplexed, asked, "Magvel? But was it supposed to have been a victim of the Great Flood 600-odd years ago?"

Pelleas replied that the "Great Flood", as they say, only marked the moment where the people on the continents stopped inter-continental transportation by sea, because there was a terrible series of tsunamis at that moment.

Jill, seeing that laguz seem to be a controversial issue in Magvel, asked the ambassador, "How are laguz treated over there? Just hope the Magvel nations don't mistreat them."

Pelleas replied, "Grado mistreats them, Phoenicis just concluded an alliance with Jehanna, on the basis that Ismaire is a Branded. Unlike Misaha, she wasn't assassinated when her branded heritage was publicly revealed."

Tauroneo asked the white-caped man, "Tibarn? Since when Tibarn has allied with a beorc nation from another continent?" Pelleas then said it began five years ago.

Ike asked everyone in the Kingdom Council where did they stand. Tauroneo accepts that Daein joins the United Nations; Jill said that, for the laguz rights in the world, it was in Daein's best interest to fight with Renais. As for Soren, his interest in this affair is purely economical; he also told that Daein will gain a benefit if it fought alongside the United Nations. However, Jarod objected that the United Nations had nothing to offer to us… except in a case of victory. Mist, the King's sister, accepts. Ike announced that the decision is taken and Daein joins the United Nations.


	2. March of Daein

CHAPTER 2 :

THE MARCH OF DAEIN

Daein is now officially at war against Grado, but King Ike did not draft soldiers for that exact purpose. Instead, he resorted to using voluntaries to fight an enemy that despises laguz. (Note that Grado deems all laguz sub-humans) And also for the rights of said laguz. Pelleas comes back at Calill's inn but it is her that have a request for Pelleas.

"Yoo-hoo! Young man, I have business with the general of this army. Would you convey a message?" Calill asked.

"I AM the general. It is I who have a need for you, you claim to be a first-class mage. That's just right!" Pelleas answered, with burning anger.

"Correct. But I am also quite skilled with a lance and a staff." claims Calill.

"I'll never doubt you ever again! The very reason as to why I need you is that I cannot return to Onrac without your genius at my side! I know one other person within the U.N. army who claims to be a mage of superior wisdom and of rare ability. Be warned: if you hear any mage girl no older than 11 make that exact claim, then stay away from her." Pelleas explained. Why? Why would Calill have to stay away from another person that makes such a claim? "I heard that two magical geniuses from lands far apart were very dangerous to put together. I am nowhere near your level of magical ability and/or intellectual strength, this is why I can get along with you quite easily."

A genuinely curious Calill asked, "I see your ammunition, a Carreau tome? Is that black magic? Are you a… shaman?"

Pelleas answered that people like him were better and more advanced than shamans and Tellius folk could call such magic practitioners Dark Sages. To which, Calill answered, "Quit it! You're a druid, pure and simple." At the same time, commoners with dreams of becoming knights and criminals sentenced to serve in the army come to the Daein camp, pitched in the outskirts of the capital. A Sword Knight complains that he's all the cavalry the Daein expeditionary force has now. And that it has a packload of infantry, archers and magic practitioners, but no flying support or cavalry! Haar has arrived into the camp. He told Pelleas that the Kingdom Council has agreed to let my group go.

Then Haar yawned and fell asleep. Until Pelleas chooses who want to fight as cavalry, both light and heavy, the resources of the U.N. Sixth Army (the Daein contingent) are very limited, mobility-wise. Time came and there was no trace of extra cavalry, until the deadline arrived and Pelleas had to choose who were the best horse riders among the troops he had at his disposal. He could then assign them as light or heavy cavalry, as needed. But once that choice has been made, that choice cannot be reversed. Light cavalry could be magic-using units and unarmored archery on horseback, they could serve as scouts; heavy cavalry formed the rest (this does not exclude mages with some proficiency with physical combat or archers with cavalry armor). Pelleas asked everyone in the camp who wants to fight on horseback.

With the number of horses at his disposal, he could easily have a few hundred mounted knights. He has received a message, via a hawk laguz, that he is to be deployed at the Tower of Valni, near Onrac. Then the packing began, the tents folded and the supply convoy was safely protected. Three days of marching through the countryside followed and the army had to trudge its way through an unsafe region.

The Sword Knight reports, "There are bandits blocking our way!"

Pelleas asked his men to hold and sent out Anna's cavalry to battle the bandits. Anna, a red-haired dragon laguz, transformed at this very moment, thus rousing the enemy bandits to attack her first. When the first of the beorc bandits came out to attack the newly-trained Daein Army cavalry, all that Anna could do was to soften up the bits out of their enemy. Once the enemy infantry was up close, the archers fired a volley of arrows at the outlaws, killing a few of them in the process. Their infantry leader hid itself behind a stone-crafted well but Anna changed back to her humanoid form, making some of her men angry. The Sword Knight, in an anger outburst, shouted, "What the? Chief? Did your power run out?"

Anna replied, "Remember, without a Demi Band, I have to recharge, so I'm left vulnerable until I can transform again."

The Sword Knight engaged the true bandit leader, also a Sword Knight, in a "sword joust", which is unlike a standard joust, fought with Knight Killers. This time around, both men are on the open road, 200 meters away, charging at each other with their sword drawn. Once they are within a sword's reach, they try to cut each other's head off, the bandit leader failed miserably and the Sword Knight's success made him bring in the head of the bandit leader. By that time, though, the enemy cavalry, unarmored, was quickly destroyed by the Daein cavalry, using both magic and weapons to kill the horse riders.

By some strange action, it's like if a column of light surrounded him, going from the ground so much as to cover him, both horse and rider, completely. It's like if killing the bandit leader gave him enough inner strength for said inner strength materialize itself out, if only once.

Pelleas asked to Calill, "What happens? Do our battle plan go awry?"

Calill replied, "No, sir. It's not a magical backfire, simply one who went up in combat class."

For a Sword Knight, if Calill told her commander the truth, it meant that he has to choose a second weapon to wield to complete the process, called Paladinization for mounted knights. That process allows a mounted knight to move somewhat faster on the battlefield and increases the overall resilience, strength and ability. However, one cannot do it twice and the 2nd weapon choice is irreversible.

Some class change processes are named after their promoted forms; thus a Myrmidon that changes battle classes go through a process named Swordmastery, for a dismounted Knight, it is called Generalization, but for Troubadours, they have two processes, Valkyrization or Knighting, resulting in either a Valkyrie or a Mage Knight.

Other classes, such as Monks or Priests, have named their class-change processes differently. For the aforementioned Monks and Priests, as well as Clerics, they have a common end result, the Bishop, named Sacerdoce. Anna asked the newly promoted Paladin what would his second weapon be, because he is given three choices: lances, axes or bows. The newly promoted Paladin answered that he chooses the bow.

Traditionally, people who went under Paladinization and Generalization (it sometimes apply to Knighted Troubadours or Mages) are also granted nobility status at the lowest level possible, that of a Knight or a Lady. They have no lordship, but the poorest ones are often granted a plot of land to support his/her family, along with their serfs. Those who hold a greater fortune usually have no need for the land.

For some reason, even though he has a black armor, his helmet has turned blue. During the night, _all_ helmets within the U.N. Sixth Army were painted in blue. They marched helmetless for a few days to let the paint on the helmets dry up. Pelleas seemed to forget an important thing about the occasions where the need would arise should more troops be needed in the fight against Grado.

He reminisces what happened a week back, when he was still in Nevassa…

Pelleas said, "If we can march quickly and know that someone will protect our backs, that would be a huge relief."

King Ike replied that if the U.N. has need of soldiers, they would send word. And the Daein Royal Army will move out at top speed.

Once arrived at their destination, Pelleas' troops have come to meet the fleet that will carry them to Frelia. This is no Port Kiris, but at least its facilities can allow a 10-ship-strong fleet to resupply and dock safely. The people ring the bells to salute the Daein army that passes near the city. As for the city watch, they spotted their own army approaching from miles away... The Port Commander ordered that the gates be opened! At that command, four Knights opened the gate, where five thousand men passed below them, Pelleas in the lead. The Port Commander approached Pelleas with caution but ceremoniously.

The Port Commander told Lord Pelleas, "The preparations have been made for your journey back to Frelia, and rout these demon-worshipping, laguz-mistreating Grado curs!"

And then, Pelleas threw a warcry, "Let's do this thing! FOR LAGUZ RIGHTS!"

The other Daein soldiers also shouted, "FOR LAGUZ RIGHTS! For Daein! For the United Nations!"

Supplies were loaded, and since they'll spend months at sea, they were to pack a large amount of supplies; their management were tantamount to the success of the Daein expedition. One could easily imagine how it would feel to spend forty days at sea, away from the land. Therefore, the supply of water was more than important, unless the Daein army could use the sea water to extract drinking water and salt for the meat.

Calill explained her survival plan up there at sea, "Listen up! If we are to last on this long journey, we need to do the following: pour some sea water in a bucket, boil the contents of the bucket and then take the water in the barrel."

She knows that the salt would end up in the bucket; if done properly, the bucket wouldn't rust any faster as if it didn't contain any sea water at all. The mages in the contingent who were capable of fire magic soon trained themselves to control their fire spells in order to survive at sea. Soldiers trained in spear throwing also trained in using their spears as harpoons to fish. And so the Daein expedition departed for Onrac.


	3. Magvel, Here We Come!

CHAPTER 3 :

MAGVEL, HERE WE COME!

Five weeks into the trip, the Daein soldiers were tired of life at sea and desperately wanted to land _anywhere_. However, the flagship's watch spotted something unusual. The Watchman spotted and warned the crews that there were demons dead ahead! Pelleas then ordered all crews to battle.

The phantom ships are manned with skeleton crews; said skeleton crews were all undead, either Bonewalkers or Revenants. Mages and Archers opened fire on the closest phantom ship to come their way. Calill told the men on her ship, "I know what to do against different targets: if they are Revenants or Bonewalkers, cast Fire or Elfire, Gargoyles require Wind-based magic and, if by any bad luck, Zombie Dragon Laguz are onboard, fire Thunder bolts at them!" As for zombified Dragon Laguz, even dead, they still share the same weaknesses as they had when they still lived. Therefore, the best moment to strike at them is when they aren't transformed. On Anna's ship, Anna ordered everyone but herself to take care of the other targets, while she'll take care of the Zombie Dragon Laguz.

The Daein marines replied, "As you command." The archers still had it against Zombie Raven Laguz, whose corpses crash on ships of both sides, Grado and Daein ships alike. As for the mages, they're tightly packed behind the other armored soldiers and even more Zombie Raven Laguz corpses crash on their heads, blinding some people's vision and making them unable to fight. The Wight who led the fleet insulted the Daein fleet, "UN curs! You'll never make it to the coast!" Anna also took part in this speech joust, "You'll regret being raised from the grave!" Anna was just done against the Zombie Dragon Laguz, whose remains fell out to the sea. A Troubadour healed her to full health when the living Dragon Laguz got ready to engage with a Wight equipped with a… Laguzslayer!

The Mage Knight nearby advised his men to be quick to open fire on the Mogalls as soon as they get into position to fire at Anna. It took more shots than expected to take the Mogalls out, due to their Dark nature. Anna, being faster than the undead bones of the Wight, had enough time to spit fire at the Wight twice while the enemy skeleton could strike only once. Even if the Wight ended up charred, his ship caught fire and every Daein who got in by the other planks fell back, the undead soldiers were burnt one by one. Anna, by then, turned back into her humanoid form out of exhaustion.

Once the other enemy ship retreated, Pelleas saw the damaged enemy ship turn back and ordered to count the people still alive. True, the Daeins suffered some casualties; the enemy undead were outnumbered by a wide margin, the phantom ships caused about 100 casualties. As Pelleas saw the phantom ship sink to the bottom of the sea, he ordered the healers to tend to the wounded and to clean the mess the undead marines caused on the battle-affected ships.

It took three days to clean every trace of battle, in the end of these three days, the same watchman alerted, "Land! Land! Onrac dead ahead!"

Pelleas ordered everyone to get prepared to land. A Pegasus Knight came out of Onrac's keep, and its rider lands on Pelleas' ship. She got off the Pegasus to greet Pelleas.

"I am Syrene, commander of the Frelia Pegasus Knights. We have word that the Grado army marches on the Tower of Valni, our King doubled the guard of the tower, but we fear that, even if the guard was doubled, without you, we will never push Grado back that way." Syrene said. "Prince Innes is busy commanding the core of our army, he cannot spare any more troops to defend the Sacred Stone of Frelia."

Pelleas replied, "Then… I came all the way from Daein to fight Grado right on the landing? Daein has granted me citizenship in exchange for command of their army into Magvel."

Syrene had grave news to announce. "Alas, King Fado has been killed, his two children have disappeared, bandits abound everywhere in Renais. Once we can push back the Grado army out of this place, we go eastward rejoin the Jehanna-Phoenicis combined army."

Pelleas, surprised, "Phoenicis? Do we expect Kilvas to fight against Grado any time soon? I know that the Kilvan authorities are since aware that Ike is on the throne of Daein and they hold anger at anti-Laguz governments…"

King Hayden enters the scene, with much pomp, because Generals (only one of them has the rank, all other Generals only are so because of their Generalizations due to battle experience or Master Seals) and other soldiers of his own personal guard accompany him, along with a Paladin-herald who announces, through a trumpet signal, that the King has arrived. Pelleas and Syrene bow before him as soon as he dismounted. Syrene spoke with the king. "Your Majesty, here is the delegate of the newest member of the United Nations, Daein. King Daein himself has approved the entry of his own country to the U.N. and shall aid us in our fight against Grado."

Pelleas waited until Syrene was done. "My Lord, I have received reports that the Grado army is en route for Onrac as we speak. Even if you are rumoured to have doubled the guard around the Tower of Valni, unless Crimea, Phoenicis or Kilvas enter the battle, we have no hope of victory."

Then King Hayden told Pelleas that Phoenicis' positions are two days away from here by the air. And that Kilvas has yet to accept entry in the United Nations, because Naesala seems quite reluctant to fight zombie laguz. Pelleas asked what is Crimea's status regarding the conflict.

Hayden replied, "The Crimean army is en route to Carcino as we speak. Queen Elincia has promised to send numbers in the thousands, probably even greater than that of Daein. This will hopefully turn the tide of the war. I heard that my daughter, Tana, has disappeared at the border. If you Daein soldiers can find her before Grado troops do, Daein will have Frelia's eternal gratitude."

We can see the Daein army pitch camp outside Onrac, while the Daein delegate to the United Nations, Pelleas, is guided through the city by Frelian soldiers up to a keep whose roof is domed. A city whose streets are entirely paved, though only with cobblestone. Night comes and Pelleas lights a torch to find his way within the city walls while the rest of the Daein army pitches camp outside. Meanwhile, Hayden left the city and returned to Castle Frelia. When Pelleas finally arrived at the U.N. headquarters, with heavy footsteps, sleeping delegates have awakened and they began to shout at him. The only representative, hailing from Phoenicis, who wasn't asleep didn't do anything to protect or to insult the Dark Sage and was instead targeted just as Pelleas was.

The delegate of Rausten directed his profanity to Pelleas, "You Daein scum! How dare you awaken beorc?". The delegate of Renais also took part in this profanity ambush by shouting, "Betrayer of the Light! You are past redemption!" An exception to this was the delegate of Carcino because he directed his bad words at the Delegate of Phoenicis. "Hawke, your experience as a laguz brought us only trouble!" The Speaker of the U.N., Saleh, had to intervene in order to cease the whole quarrel between delegates. He has decided to quit Caer Pelyn, leaving his post as an hermit sage to fulfill a greater destiny. "Order! Order! Just that the delegate of a new nation has arrived doesn't mean that his/her country is not important! Please welcome the delegate of our newest member nation, Daein!", he shouted.

Pelleas, placed in the center of a circle, told them that Daein has come to fight back the laguz rapists and that King Ike has promised to supply weapons and training against the laguz and demonic enemies of the United Nations.

When they could comment, different delegates did not hesitate to do so. The delegate of Rausten said, "Finally! Someone covers our backs! It was about time, since the Knights of Rausten cannot hold it much longer as it is now!" There was the rant od the delegate of Phoenicis, "We cannot watch idly as Grado phantom ships are massing on our very doorstep!" The delegate of Jehanna agreed that Grado is on the move, but he also asked why Grado would invade Phoenicis. This was followed by the rant of the delegate of Frelia, "Now is not the time to discuss what we should do about Phoenicis! The Tower of Valni is a more pressing matter. It houses our country's Sacred Stone. From the Sacred Stone of Grado the researchers there made something more powerful deemed the Dark Stone. Renais' Sacred Stone has been destroyed when the Royal Temple was raided."

Pelleas also said, "Maybe our numbers would help us wipe the enemy army out. I do not know how large is the Tower of Valni's guard but it is nowhere near 5,000." The diplomat from Frelia had a plan to introduce: since the army under Selena's command is nowhere near 5,000, if they needed the Daein army to fight back the Grado forces, they will send a messenger out for Pelleas.

Who was Selena? Grado placed its armies under the command of several beorc generals. It is often rumored, among the laguz who fight alongside the United Nations (Jehanna, in particular) that the previous Black Dragon King was made a general under his zombie form, and thus being the only laguz general, undead or living, at Grado's service. But the bulk of the undead laguz under enemy command prefers to stay hidden from the main action. For whatever reasons there are, said reasons are kept hidden along with the laguz who hold these secrets.

The dark sage was brought back to his camp, quite large but without palisades, as they planned to be on the move as soon as the Grado thrust was turned aside. The grassy battlefield was made muddy because of the rainstorm that happened last night, slowing the movements of the enemy army. Meanwhile, near the Tower of Valni, a Grado artillery officer ordered his battery to open fire.

The ballistae battery, comprising eight weapons, fired big bolts but none of them landed within the tower. They all felt somewhere near the tower's gate, firmly planted into the ground. As dismounted knights surrounded the battering ram, who made its advance through the muddy ground to get near the gate. And so did the guards inside the tower: they got in position to hit everyone inside. Soldiers (just generic characters who are of that class) came into position; mages and monks got behind to support their own brethren with magic should enemy, heavily armoured units come near. However, archers and mages in the superior floors took the knights out, leaving the battering ram wide open to attack.

With four bolts left to each of their ballistae, Grado artillery needed to make each and every bolt count, before the Tower's defenders or Daein soldiers could kill their operators. At the same time, Pelleas ordered his men to hold their position.

But the Tower of Valni's gate fell after the second ballista volley and the first line soldiers were quickly killed by enemy archers, knights and fighters. The Frelian magic-users could kill some more people before they fell back to the second level. This is where Mercenaries, Archers and Myrmidons came into play for the Frelian defenders, but their own Knights, stationed on the third level, heard the floor shake below them as their own troops fought back.

Pelleas began to shout his warcry out, "FOR LAGUZ RIGHTS!" The rest of the Daein army also did the same, "FOR LAGUZ RIGHTS! FOR DAEIN! FOR THE KING!"

And the Daein cavalry led the way, charging through the rear of the Grado army, though the charge was not as effective as it would be on a dry terrain. The enemy soldiers could kill a number of Daeins as well, but Anna transformed right in front of a surprised Selena.

Selena asked a rhetorical question, "Filthy sub-humans! How could they break through our lines?"

The Grado Shaman nearby prepared his spell but arrows fired by Daein archers got through his body, making him bleed and his blood got on Anna's dragonhide. Myrmidons advanced through the axe-wielding enemy soldiers, but the first two levels of the Tower of Valni were full of red-clad soldiers who definitely weren't Daeins or Begnion regulars. This meant that the Grado forces have broken through two levels of Frelian soldiers and have plenty of men to defend the lower two levels.

Meanwhile, on the open field, Anna shouted back to Selena that laguz loathe to be called sub-humans. At that very declaration, Selena fled in the fog who just fell, not only to avoid being killed by a Dragon Laguz, but also to be able to fight another day. The fog itself was so thick that no one could see through; even lit Torches couldn't allow one to see very far away from the torch bearer. Once the fog subsided, the fight continued and the dismounted Knights that guard the third level were all killed, not without killing enemy soldiers. It was up to the U.N. guards on the fourth level to keep the defenses up, even if they were outnumbered by Grado forces.

The Paladin who was promoted before he boarded the ship to Onrac ordered his men to charge. That particular Paladin took his Steel Blade out, wounding enemy Soldiers despite his weapon disadvantage and piercing through the armors of mounted knights when he sees a Daein Soldier being surrounded by a column of light that goes inwards. "A Class Change", he thought. This person just Halberdierized (Halberdiering is the process under which a Soldier, given sufficient veterancy, change classes) under his own eyes and began killing a Mercenary, despite his speed disadvantage. He just remembered that Anna just retreated due to her power needing recharge. For his full frontal assault to work, Pelleas needed to reinforce the southern positions.

Pelleas ordered that the southern positions be reinforced. But the Grado army, by the time Anna retreated, got up to the fifth level of the Tower of Valni; they saw their own men outside being killed one by one and closing in on the gate. The Frelian garrison knew that if the enemy could get to the fifth level, there must not be many men left outside. Motivated by the Daein forces being capable of routing the adversary forces, the Frelian soldiers went into a battle frenzy, especially the melee units, pushing the enemy back into the fourth floor.

Anna sent her men in the Tower, for their enemy must NOT be allowed to escape. The enemy was too busy to defend what's left of their positions inside the tower that the Daein army lost about 150 men in total, even if the Frelian losses would be about 8 times that number. Their acting commander, a dead man raised from the grave, left with about 500 men, decided it was best to surrender.

The Frelian commander accepted your surrender. In the mean time, he gave the undead commander until tomorrow at nightfall to get out of this place and rejoin his Grado positions.


	4. Three Pronged Plan

CHAPTER 4 :

A THREE-PRONGED PLAN

After the defeat of the Grado army and the successful defense of the Tower of Valni, the Daein leaders convene of a new plan for their mission on the Magvel continent within General Pelleas' tent. Pelleas told his lackeys about his strategy, "Ladies and gentlemen, here's our plan: Anna's group will go rejoin the Phoenicisian army entrenched in Jehanna Hall, Calill's group will fight on to Renvall and we, the main group, will go for Fort Rigwald, and then for the capital." Haar objected that Daein will never capture Fort Rigwald with the numbers it has, let alone the capital… If only Frelia could help them in capturing Fort Rigwald, they would capture the place! He simply yawned shortly afterwards.

Anna scolded Haar, "How dare you sleep in the middle of a war council! I'll roast you to shreds if I could morph now!"

Calill, however, stated that if they could rally the remnants of Renais forces before taking on Fort Rigwald… it would be much better for the nations fighting alongside Daein. Meanwhile, a Renais Sword Knight approaches the Daein camp, and made his way into the general's tent, dismounted. And he had an intelligence report to deliver to the Daein commanders. He, too, is part of the Renais resistance. He came all the way from the Frelian border to tell them the fate of the Grado attackers of the Tower of Valni.

Franz, gallantly waiting his turn, said, "Sorry to interrupt your war council, but I have news for you to report. It's not even the undead form of Lord Hafedd, as the Tower of Valni survivors told me, but Breguet who lead the enemy survivors of the Siege of Onrac."

Anna then asked what happened to Undead Hafedd, the one who died defending the Black Knight in Castle Naddos, and who was raised back from the grave. She wondered why he did escape the reach of the Daein army. At that time, Franz reported that he saw the whole thing: even Grado soldiers fell into ambushes laid by bandits. The Renais army was tattered, Vigarde did not even care for the respect of the law within his conquered lands. The Eastern Watch pf Frelia said that Undead Hafedd was destroyed while fighting the bandits in the mountains between Ide and Border Mulan.

Calill gave her advice; it was to dispatch both groups without delay. The bandits were on their way to Ide, she pledged that her group shall defend the Greater Ide. Anna stated that, as a laguz, she felt more comfortable to fight on in order to join the other laguz army, encamped in Jehanna. Border Mulan was a critical point where to fight, because it gives the group holding that position the guard of the border between Frelia and Carcino, while being very close to Renais.

Pelleas then told his chief lieutenants, "We agreed to split in three groups, one who fights all the way to Jehanna Hall, the second to capture Renvall and the third to capture the capital. Eventually, we will regroup to recapture Castle Renais – that is, if all three groups survive until then."

Pelleas postponed further talks within the war council as new recruits arrived, in chains, as Onrac emptied its dungeon to reinforce the Daein numbers (how odd!). The lord-mayor of Onrac has assured King Daein that it was the best decision to be taken, because he feels that prisoners arrested for violent crimes could make use of their crime-committing abilities to fight back their enemies.

In Nevassa, a Hawk Laguz under the lord-mayor of Onrac's pay have arrived at the gates of the royal palace; at King Daein's behest, the parchment was unrolled before him. Said lord-mayor freed him from jail in exchange for service as his personal messenger.

The Hawk laguz messenger began his report, "Your Majesty, it appears that the lord-mayor of Onrac emptied the dungeon of his city and made everyone fight under Daein's command. It seems that your forces, under Pelleas' command, have earned victory over the Grado forces besieging Onrac and the Tower of Valni."

Tauroneo then asked, "My King, what of Crimea? Begnion? Gallia? Kilvas? We know that Phoenicis has joined active battle against General Caellach's forces, but have any of these countries been admitted to the United Nations while your men earned victory against Grado?"

Jarod, in his quality of Chief Justice of Daein, asked the laguz messenger, "How many prisoners were there in Onrac's dungeon?"

The Hawk laguz messenger expedited his answer, "Over two thousand. As far as I know, Onrac, as a city is divided in several districts. As the United Nations were formed, an entire district was built to accommodate the many people the formation of the U.N. needed. There is the merchant district, built around the marketplace, a religious district and an entire district that houses criminals from everywhere in the northeast of Frelia, where the dungeons are."

Ike told everyone in the throne room, "Good news to hear." He turned to the laguz, "Now, where are our men headed for?"

The Hawk laguz messenger replied, "They seem to adopt a three-pronged plan: one group, under Anna's command, goes to fight eastward and rejoin the Phoenicis army, the second group is bent on capturing Renvall and the third group, the largest, fights to capture the main bases."

But the King himself knew that General Pelleas couldn't remain a commoner for long; he had to find a place whose lord has died without heirs, been poisoned or imprisoned. He couldn't imprison a noble for that exact purpose only; that would cause a rebellion. He sent the Hawk Laguz back to his master with a sealed letter. That sealed letter arrived to Frelia a week later; Hayden, in the meantime, could only spare two people to General Pelleas. As the final contingent of criminals from Onrac arrived, the time has come to distribute the soldiers among the three groups.

Franz warned his new commander, "General, a message has arrived from Daein!"

Vanessa made her claim, "I intercepted the lord-mayor of Onrac's messenger, on my way here, here was the sealed letter he wanted to give you. Here is what it says..."

She began to read the letter, but before he even starts, Pelleas kneels down to the ground and disarms himself. Vanessa then read the letter to him. "Here's the letter, signed by King Ike himself, it says: "In the name of House Daein, I hereby grant you the rank and title of lord and all the honors it conveys." Rise, Lord Pelleas."

The second beorc sent by Hayden was dispatched because of U.N. obligations. Palace staff received reports that there were children orphaned by bandit attacks; the U.N. General Council, of which Pelleas is a member, has voted that the U.N. International Children Equilibrium Fund (UNICEF) take actions to help the children out.

Moulder explained that, by the mandate of the UNICEF, he, Father Moulder, was ordered to follow through the Daein army and to rescue any and all orphaned child we can find on our route. Pelleas then told him that there are more orphaned children in the middle road than in the other two. Then, he told, "Father, I assign you to Calill's group, while Vanessa would be more handy in the eastern road, leading to Jehanna Hall. Is everyone ready? We're scheduled to leave tomorrow at dawn."


	5. The Protected

CHAPTER 5 :

THE PROTECTED

The Daein army just packed up their supplies and their forces parted ways: the main army marched west, Anna's group went eastward to Border Mulan, as planned, but the group with the biggest surprise was the group led by Calill. Ide drew so close, it was a race against the clock (and death) because both the bandits and the Daein army wanted to get there first. Cavalry rushed on this plateau and the bandits rushed off away from Ide and then, the battle began. The Wyvern Rider reported, "Chief, there is an orphaned child at my 1 o'clock. Should I rescue him?"

Calill nodded. "And bring him back to Father Moulder.", she ordered.

While the Wyvern Rider could avoid the many axes thrown at him, he almost nose-dived to a landing near the child, that he grabbed without delay. As Calill got into one of the villages to chase Revenants, she made an unexpected encounter. Armed with her Knight Killer… A peasant spoke to her. "This is terrible! What are we going to do? The Bandits are so close. If we can't find a way to protect ourselves, we are doomed."

Selena sighed. "Perhaps…"

Calill told the peasants, "People, listen to me! You must close the village gates immediately. Hurry, before bandits arrive." Selena then asked, "Who are you? You aren't from any of the neighboring towns. And your weapons give away, you're no peasant."

Calill answered, in a confused fashion, "My name is Ca… Camille. I'm a mercenary."

Selena, puzzled, "A mercenary named Camille, is it? I'm afraid there is more to you than that, I feel. But this is none of my business. I haven't told you who I am yet, I am Selena, a general in the Grado army."

Calill challenged General Selena to a duel. But she didn't think that she'd be vulnerable to fight a Mage Knight with physical attacks. This is where her physical ability serves her; against a Mage Knight, a Troubadour or a Valkyrie, a Knight Killer has the same effect as it would on a Paladin. Two thrusts from a heavy Knight Killer were necessary for her to dismount, but after the second thrust, the heavy lance just shattered, and, as such, she had to resort to magic. And Selena hit her with an Elfire, but the Elfire didn't hurt her much.

An Halberdier was left to lead the prisoner-drafted soldiers into battle against the bandits. He spouted out his warcry out on the plateau as his men got in position. The Halberdier began his warcray, "FOR LAGUZ RIGHTS!". His men followed afterwards, "FOR LAGUZ RIGHTS! FOR DAEIN!" Their enemy wasn't the Grado army anymore; their enemies were bandits, rumor has it that they were also laguz vendors. But why laguz slave traders would hunt for laguz in this desolate place? Said bandits have mostly axe-wielders in their roster, but also a few sword-wielding units and a Lance Knight, who is their fastest unit. As soon as the Halberdier gets to the Lance Knight…

The Halberdier asked his men to clear the way, in order to let him fight that mounted knight. After that, arrows went out of the abandoned farm and hit him, but that did not prevent him from making the Lance Knight's horse uncontrollable by making one of the horse's leg bleed. And so the Lance Knight fell off his horse. At this exact moment, the Halberdier ordered his men to get into that house, stating that the archers inside must be killed, as the Halberdier continued his duel against the Lance Knight, but afoot. It was a big duel from which the Halberdier parried a few thrusts from the enemy Steel Lance, and the enemy had hit him on the leg. With his final energies, the Halberdier pushed his lance through the enemy helmet…

The Bandit Lance Knight said, as his final words, "I left the Knights of Renais because… they served… corrupted, faceless nobles." And the Lance Knight died. As for the Wyvern Rider, he got as fast as possible to the infirmary of the base camp, where Father Moulder, after using his staff on the child, asked the child a couple of questions. He asked to the kid, "What's your name? Where are your parents?" The kid answered that his name is Ross. His father is somewhere in the area, fighting the bandits. He is in the southern area. He conjures the priest that he MUST be saved as soon as possible. His name is Garcia, he has a thick, black beard, and also wields a throwing axe. Moulder has something to ask to the Wyvern Rider: if he can spot a Fighter fighting the bandits that matches the description the kid make and that do not bear a Daein crest, that the flyer takes the fighter to him."

But, at the same moment, Calill faced off Selena in an intense battle of magic, where she fired a Thoron shot. It did hit Selena, the thunder ball being right in the middle of her body, but, as Selena used Elfire, she was disadvantaged due to the Trinity of Anima. However, anything higher in the fire magic field was unheard of in the Grado army, except perhaps for the Meteor spell, but even then, it was a long-range spell while Elthunder, Thoron and Bolganone spells were more adapted to hand-to-hand and short-ranged combat. At that time, Selena still was capable of fighting, and she fired another Elfire. An Elfire spell that Calill could hopefully dodge, but it was time to fight fire by fire, Calill burst her enemy to flames and her charred remains lay on the ground.

Garcia, in spite of his situation and angry because of it, spouted, "Blast! Bandits even fly now!" The Wyvern rider answered, "No. It's the Daein army that sent us here."

Garcia, surprised, "Daein? I never heard Daein fighting Grado; only Frelia and Jehanna for now. And where Daein is anyway?"

The Wyvern rider told Garcia that his group crossed the sea just to get them to fight Grado, who mistreat laguz at every turn… Anyway, he matches the description that was made by Ross.

Garcia, even more surprised, "My son? Bring him to me if I survive this battle."

The bandits' leader drew close to the Halberdier's position, but he spoke to the archers in the farm that Daein soldiers are trying to break into. Bone spoke to his archers, "The Renais army is here! We had a poor crop this year around. Only a few Hawks and cats. If only we could have put our hand on Dragons…"

The first Archer told him, "These don't look like Renaisian soldiers! They have something they call Halberdiers, the army of Renais don't have Halberdiers stationed here!" A second Archer continued, "The Dragon sub-humans we would find would be zombies, as almost all the living dragon laguz are in Goldoa, at the other side of the sea!"

Bone warned his archers that if they lost the cargo entrenched in the cellars of that farm, they were doomed! And that the Grado Emperor will have their heads! Instead of having the Daein soldiers kill the archers, the undead beorc entrenched in the cellar had the first dibs to kill the archers, as they thrust the spear into them. As the door broke, the Fighters had the bad surprise to find Bonewalkers in front of the bodies of archers. A Daein mage set fire to the roof of the farm, meaning they had little time to rescue the laguz and get out of the farm. The bandit leader saved the untransformed laguz along with the Daein soldiers from the farm on fire. When they got out of the farm, Garcia was about there.

Garcia, with a tone of vengeance, "You will pay for all the laguz you kidnapped!" A puzzled Bone then replied, "Laguz?"

The Daein beorc soldiers who were in the farm on fire, along with the laguz they saved, stood back behind the other Daein soldiers as they held the bandit leader in respect, with swords pointed at him. The Halberdier spoke, with a solemn tone, "In the name of the Kingdom, you're under arrest under guilty of laguz slavery. Surrender and you won't be mistreated."

Bone, infuriated at Daein soldiers, "Never! Daein justice has no hold here!"

Then, Bone was brought up to a tree stock in the middle of Ide and the remaining populace, two Soldiers put him face up and a Myrmidon cut his head off with his sword, having since known that Bone was from a noble house and Daein execution protocols demand that noblemen sentenced to death be killed by a sword instead of an axe.

Calill asked herself, "Why would nobility directly engage in laguz trade and slavery?"

The battle in Ide showed them the laguz trade. However, near Border Mulan, Grado forces get ready to engage the Daein army on the open field. Breguet did not want to harm the precious hostages in the castle, therefore he wants to engage them in the open field instead of defending the place in a siege. Because Breguet did not want to harm the hostages in the castle; a siege may lead them to harm, especially if Daein or Grado soldiers set fire to some parts of the stronghold.

A watchman stationed in the stronghold warned Commander Breguet, "There is a large group of bandits a mile at our northeast!" Breguet then ordered everyone to get in position for battle. "Let us through!", he told to the gate guardians.

The soldiers got out in a quad-file and then… the archers turned themselves 90 degrees in order to face the Daein army, the infantry got itself in a dense box formation and the cavalry between the archers and the infantry. On the battlefield, Anna transformed into a red dragon and rained down fire to the infantry ranks in front of her; however, it also set some of the grass afire. Melee troops of both sides then retreated, but archers took cover of the immense amount of smoke to fire. In so doing, it inflicted some casualties but not too many, since few archers actually dared fire in such a thick fog.

The density of men made it certain for anyone to hit another target, let it be undead infantry or living, flesh-and-bone soldiers. Even if Anna's fire breath was mostly directed at the undead, who burnt quite rapidly due to their weak body structure, the archers of _both sides_ put many holes in the undead soldiers. As the suffocating smoke subsided… Anna ordered his soldiers into a charge.

Breguet retreated to the safety of his castle's gates. He let his beorc and undead lackeys handle everything else, but the dismounted soldiers were quickly slaughtered, as the Daein cavalry trampled Grado soldiers down in their charge. However, they cornered a Breguet that killed three cavalrymen, leaving everyone else to back off, even the Grado cavalry, seeing that their leader is driven mad by some strange curse. With the energy of despair, the enemy cavalry killed more infantry than their own numbers, but magic had the best of the horseback soldiers.

The curse that affects Breguet is nowhere near as strong as if it would have been if he had touched Lehran's Medallion. But then, when he killed his own men, he already was under his beast form, a _wolf_? Anna then ordered to rain down fire spells on the enemy commander. It's like that the potion used to create Feral Ones has been consumed by Breguet. But then, if he isn't zombified it's a peculiar situation. Usually, living laguz (if any) within the Grado military who hold any officer rank aren't assigned to fight with living beorc; undead beorc or monsters, at best. If undead, then they raised graves in Hatari's Desert of Death, northeast of Daein.

And the potion to make Feral Ones? If it worked on undead laguz just as it did on the living, then Grado would have it produced in quantities large enough to feed a significant fraction of its undead laguz forces. Breguet is just the first target of the necromancy experiments of its leaders. However, in Grado Keep's throne room, Vigarde gives his remaining beorc generals his orders. He instructs Riev to go rejoin the laguz in the Darkling Woods and Valter is to defend the capital. Caellach is to go capture the laguz-infested Jehanna.

Caellach, puzzled at Vigarde's decision, "Jehanna? I became a mercenary to escape from the laguz who made my life in that desolate place miserable just to return there?" Vigarde then turned to Glen. "As for you, Glen, you are assigned to fight the army of Crimea and to defend Carcino."

It seems that Riev is the beorc general among the Grado Empire that has the most experience of fighting with laguz, zombified or not. Vigarde just had word that a messenger arrived, bearing bad news for him. The zombie messenger reported, "Your Imperial Majesty, I have bad news for you: General Selena has been killed by a group of bandits dealing in the trade of sub-humans!"

Vigarde shook his head in disbelief. "Laguz slave traders did what?"

The zombie messenger reported that it was the only one left. He also reported that the Daein army swept the bandits holding "sub-humans", or laguz, as merchandise. They are headed towards the Borgo Ridge, where the bandit leader, Bazba, awaits.

Vigarde then asked, "What information do you hold about the Daein army? Who leads them? Where are they?"

The zombie messenger told his master that this is where my knowledge of the situation against Daein stops. This is where an elderly, wretched man steps in and he stopped his experiments because Vigarde have a few things to ask to him about the Daein army. The wretched man spoke to His Imperial Majesty. "I served Daein before I served Grado. I pledged to remain at your service because I want to exact revenge on the current King on the throne of Daein! Ike defeated and killed the previous King, whom I served with tremendous zeal. I even invented an elixir whose purpose is to drive the sub-humans insane with battle lust and they also remain locked in their transformed states. However, should any sub-human be fed with such a potion, its lifespan is dramatically shortened. Be warned, though: these potions currently only work on living sub-humans; your army have a large number of _undead_ sub-humans, we don't know what effect the elixir has on undead subjects."

Vigarde then told that Breguet was an undead wolf laguz. "Do the Daein army here has any experience of fighting laguz? Who leads them?", he asked.

The wretched man tells his emperor that they split their army in two. One of these halves – and he suspects it's the lot of the Daein army – defeated the group that defeated Selena. And they recaptured the Greater Ide area. They plan to march into Serafew to capture Renvall. According to their "human", or beorc, spy, the other part marches east to support the combined army of the Laguz League, Crimea, Phoenicis, Jehanna and Carcino. Though they are primarily composed of beorc nations, they actively employ laguz in battle.

"I already dispatched Glen and Caellach to fight the Laguz League, maybe I should send out the laguz general, entrenched on the Neleras Peak, to aid them?" Vigarde said. Then he turned to Duessel.

Duessel interrupted Vigarde, "Hold on, Majesty. We can't send innocent laguz to slaughter! Also, what are your plans for Renais? The country is in ruins. Thieves and bandits swagger around… If we absolutely have to make use of the laguz, then let it be to enforce law and order within our conquered territories."

Vigarde ordered his men to leave the bandits and thieves alone. Then, Duessel objected, "But, Sire…"

Valter interrupted Duessel, "Lord Duessel. The emperor has spoken. Please…"

Vigarde ordered Duessel to go out and fight the Daein army, as they felt that the Daein army must not reach Renvall and if the Daein army captures Renvall, the capital will be wide open for attack.


	6. The Atonement

CHAPTER 6 :

THE ATONEMENT

Pelleas stared blankly at the water reflections as his group stopped by the sea, at a point located three hours northwest of Fort Rigwald. The surroundings – the forest, the waterfront, the cliffs – made it a peculiar area where to rest before the Daein army began the siege of Fort Rigwald. As a Spirit Charmer, he could use his magical ability to sense whatever magical threats abound. He thinks of what his life was back in Renais, in a mountain cabin, when he didn't fight the armies of Grado at every turn. He would use a water-powered mill to grind the materials he needed in his arcane research. But he also reminisces how it was when he first went in Daein: cold, dry, windy…

But also why he was sent to Daein in the first place: because he was to atone his wrongs about being locked up in his town's library for too long. He survived the trip to Daein, both ways, and then got to the Frelia/Grado border. Renais didn't mean much to him anymore, for he made such a long trip and Renais was defeated in battle. As his home country was in ruins, he didn't think of himself as a person to whom to turn to in order to save the kingdom. A scout began his report: "Pardon me for disturbing your meditations, Lord Pelleas, but our team reports that Princess Tana is held prisoner in the deeper cells of Fort Rigwald." Pelleas then asked him if he knows who lead the defense of Fort Rigwald or anything about that person.

Scout warnd Lord Pelleas, "My Lord, expect a lot of undead laguz in the castle. If we're really unlucky, then expect Zombie Dragon Laguz as you approach the garrison leader. Or Tana's cell."

Within the reinforced walls of Fort Rigwald, however, a Soldier emits sheer doubts about the very purpose of her mission. Also, a Soldier delivers his intelligence report to his commander.

The Soldier said, "Reporting in! We'll soon be under attack!... Looks like Daein troops. Their commander is… Lord Pelleas!"

A Knight nearby responded, "The Daein army has no idea that we are aware of their every move! What does that group of vagabonds think they are capable of? I don't care who is the enemy commander, or how talented he is. He's just a mercenary with delusions of grandeur. We have nothing to fear."

Izuka pitched in, "We'll show them what real war is like!"

The Knight began his rant: "A Daein noble leads this rabble? This whole thing sneaks. My step-brother and her husband lived in Renais… What is this emperor thinking, starting this war?"

Izuka warned the Knight, "I heard you. Talking about not fighting? The punishment for treason is harsh. You'll burn at the stake."

The Knight continued his rant, "But it's not just me! Even General Duessel is opposed to this war!"

Izuka asked, "You'd side with that washed-up coward? And who is your commanding officer? Is it Duessel? Come on, out with it!"

The Knight answered, reluctantly, "You… you are, Izuka."

Izuka said, "That's right. So that should make clear whose orders you follow. You got that? If you do, then shut up and get into formation. No one cares about your lives!"

Amelia interrupted Izuka at this very moment. "Wait a minute! That's an horrible thing to say!", she said.

Izuka asked her, "Who are you supposed to be? Your name! Out with it!"

Amelia answered, "I'm Amelia. I have been assigned to this fort today. I am a soldier of Grado, not a slave attached to the fort!"

Izuka shouted, "What is it now? You're a girl? You've got a lot of nerve talking like that to your commander. Looks like you will have to be thrown in the same cell as Princess Tana!"

Two Knights bring Amelia into the same dungeon cell as Princess Tana is imprisoned, not knowing that the occupants of the cell almost suffocate without having to throw an extra person in it. In the deepest confines of the castle, the Knights see suffocating prisoners in every single cell, some of them capable of fighting, others are civilians. Obviously, the civilian prisoners are placed all the way in the back of the cells, in front of the weapons themselves. And the soldiers are foremost in the cells, but with a wall of civilians unable to use these weapons, they cannot fight their way out of the cells.

Franz approached Fort Rigwald with care, "This is Fort Rigwald. It had stood unconquered for generations. Its defenses are legendary. It is the jewel of Grado's fortifications, and its walls have never been breached."

Pelleas then told him, "And if we don't capture it, any attack on the capital will be pointless. Do we have the power to capture it?"

Franz advised his commanding officer, Pelleas, "It's a daunting task. The enemy is evenly matched, numbers-wise, but they have the advantage of terrain. Oh and if we could capture the cellars first… we would have thousands of prisoners ready to fight, almost as many as the ones we got from the lord-mayor of Onrac when we departed Onrac."

Pelleas asked Franz, "But what about in morale?"

Franz suspected, "Do you suspect the soldiers may be unwilling to fight?"

Pelleas told everyone that anything is possible. This is the emperor's war, but the hearts of men are not so swift to change. For example, General Duessel, one of the Imperial Three. Duessel's sympathies are certain to remain with Renais – and to their cause. Because the Duessel as he had come to know is one who supported King Ramon of Crimea in his efforts to achieve a fully integrated society, when Ramon was still alive. He has no love of war… if only Elincia or Ephraim was here...

Franz gave some more advice, "Those unwilling to fight for Grado are most likely in the dungeons. Capture the dungeons first and we'll see how we will capture this place."

Three hours later, outside the castle, Lord Pelleas began casting a spell, whose path made a hole in the ground large enough for two men, side-by-side, to get through it and continue the digging. It was digging into loamy soil; his men were actually digging for the cellars while the lot of his forces defended the battering ram who would force the inner gate, since the outer wall has no gate, only a portcullis.

As they dug closer to the walls, Pelleas himself hears the cries of suffocating prisoners, crammed 20-30 in a single cell. Fort Rigwald held about six thousand prisoners, both common-law and military. If the Daein estimations are correct, this castle averages twenty-four criminals per cell, which is about five times the average number of prisoners per cell recorded in Onrac before his departure. As Grado does not care about criminals of all kinds running rampant in its own lands, it wouldn't care any more about the fate of those who actually are arrested.

A prisoner on the other side of the wall requested to have the cell's door opened. However, that call wasn't heard much by Pelleas himself, as he was on the other side of the walls, still digging through them. Izuka didn't fear that the Daein army would rescue any of the 6,000 prisoners because he thinks all the Daeins would die before they fully breach the wall, leading all 6,000 to certain deaths.

In the inner court of the fortress, the second-in-command of Lord Pelleas ordered that someone cast an Elthunder spell on the barbed wire that stands between them and the inner gate. Because people may be hiding behind the barbed wire.

The Mage asked, "How many people would we make unable to fight if we fired an Elthunder on the barbed wire?"

His superior, a General, answered, "The enemy soldiers are tightly packed behind the barbed wire; the electrical current will get through the metallic armors of every one of them."

The electrical current is so intense it made the barbed wire melt. However, only an Archer, equipped with steel arrows, got hit behind the barbed wire. It did not have the effect his superior expected, so he was ordered to fire another shot, killing a Knight in the process and wounding several others around him. As the barbed wire melt, other soldiers poured out of the gates and the Daein army had no choice but to charge through them in order to get in position to batter the gate down.

As for the digging, Pelleas had to use his magic to be able to remove a few blocks of stone and then be able to remove the stone blocks. There was more soil to be cleared before the Daein sappers could get to the second stone wall. While they were digging to get to the second wall, here is what the sappers found:

The Fighter warned his lord, "My Lord, I found a treasure map! Surely they were pirate prisoners held here and they hid the secret to their treasure in here." Pelleas ordered him to stow that treasure map in the supply convoy as soon as they can free civilian prisoners.

The stone blocks removed, the sapping crews put some wood beams along the way to prevent the land on top of them from collapsing under the weight of their battle comrades. As magic blew some stones away, the people in front of the stones complained they got hit by solid rocks.

The first prisoner, surprised, asked to another prisoner, "What is this? Why did Grado resort to making the cell walls collapse on us? Is the Emperor heartless enough to kill us all this way?" The second prisoner then answered, "This isn't Grado… this is the Daein army! They are no better than Grado!"

Pelleas ordered the prisoners to get behind them, as they will open the cells and crush the cell door open. As for the civilians, they were to get away from here. Fighters swung their axes at the door lock; it took several blows to force the door open. The guards got quickly to the site of the break-in, and saw the horror of Daein soldiers digging a hole large enough for two people to get side-by-side through it. And… an untransformed cat laguz, well alive, was shoved by a beorc prisoner escaping his cell.

The first prisoner, shocked, wondered, "What's this? A tail? Sub-humans should learn not to be arrested at the same time as we humans are!"

Pelleas then told the prisoners in the cell, "We came here to rescue you! All able-bodied prisoners, grab weapons and fight!"

At the main gate, Daein soldiers battered the gate under the cover of shields large enough to fit to fully-trained Generals. Under arrows, they got support from behind, as they rained down fire and arrows on the enemy archers, successfully deflecting their fire away from the men manning the battering ram. On the other side of the ram…

The Warrior in charge of the gate ordered the gate be braced. "The Daein army must not get through!", he shouted.

It was to no avail; the gate bracing didn't work so well and, after a determined effort, the gate partly fell apart, as the upper portion remained intact. And the helepolis (a siege tower) was brought up to the outer wall, letting the Daein soldiers entrenched in it going through the walls and kill everyone else not hit by the arrows and magic. Then whoever could retreat to the inner walls did so through the dungeon. Luckily for them, the Daein army didn't capture the entire prison just yet, as Pelleas' men are still fighting the dungeon guards for the control of the cell keys. A Fighter soon discovered that the cell keys were in a chest hidden in the middle of the dungeon itself. Amelia and Tana were freed. Tana sought her pegasus; the fighter who found out that the keys were in a chest located in the middle of the dungeon had a map of the prisons at hand, where everything was; the stairs, the guard room, and even the stables, for the mounts of the prisoners were kept somewhere else in the dungeon if the prisoners were freed alive.

Tana asked one of the Daein soldiers, "You there! Where are the mounts of the prisoners? My pegasus was a gift of House Crimea; Queen Crimea's grand-mother was a famed Begnion falcoknight before she got married with the Crimean royal family. House Crimea had five pegasi when Elincia's grandmother…"

Pelleas answered, "Only two of these animals survived. Elincia rides one of those two, you have the second one, right?"

The Fighter gave Tana the answer she was looking for, "The horses and pegasus are next to the elevator."

The elevator was manned by guards and serves one purpose: to make the mounts go up or down and it was located next to where the drawbridge is, though not directly underneath it. Too busy securing the stables and the keys, the Daein army passed up a chance to kill more defenders from the outer walls as several of their men are undergoing their promotion process, the most notable of them being Amelia. She undertakes her Generalization while Monks fire their Light and Shine shots, and kill a few of Pelleas' soldiers, Fighters and archers.

Fortunately for the enemy, some of their men also get co change classes and Amelia provokes one of these newly promoted people in a personal duel. That person just had his Sacerdoce as he killed an archer.

Pelleas ordered, "Leave Amelia alone. It is her duel, she will fight that Bishop because the enemy Bishop wanted her to."

Amelia taunted the newly promoted Bishop, "Your Grace, this is for imprisoning perfectly innocent people! And also because you acted as a spy against us!"

As she taunted the Bishop, she ran her lance through the Bishop's body. However, Generals are often known to fight sluggishly, and so do Bishops. That man couldn't cast his spell fast enough to even hit his escapee foe, and then died.

With the number of casualties the Daein group suffered, it was time for what's left of the Daein army to go for the throne room. Unfortunately, as Pelleas' men let the beorc from the outer wall go while his group was still in the dungeon, they will have to fight laguz before they get to their target.

"Fire!", Pelleas ordered. At that command, the fire spells burnt the undead, riled-up Feral Ones to a critical point where the ashes burn on the floor. The beorc soldiers had a hard fight against a few laguz that remained; one of the laguz slaves of the previous castellan has finally transformed and ate the eyes of a laguz, making it more imprecise. A Myrmidon with a Laguzslayer stabbed a Tiger in the back, the same enemy whose eyes were eaten. The flying laguz then reverted back to its humanoid form. At the other side of the staircase… The General asked who is this prisoner.

The raven laguz wondered if his/her execution moved up in the schedule. "Wait. You're not a Grado soldier. Who are you?", he/she asked.

The General answered that he was Eurytos, from Daein. "And who are you?", Eurytos asked.

The raven laguz said that it was an odd question for an executioner. "My name is Vika. Until recently, I was one of Kilvas' top researchers in arcane matters.", she answered.

Eurytos asked her, "Why were you locked there?"

Vika pleaded, "Not now, please! We still have an enemy to defeat!"

The enemy went back at their quarters and so did the army under Pelleas' command, because everyone grew tired. Tana got out of a corpse-infested Fort Rigwald with her steed finally recovered. Her flying mount was easy to recognize since there only was one pegasus among the beasts in the dungeon's stables. Within Pelleas' personal tent, Vika stands ready to tell them what happened to her.

Vika began telling her story. "Lord Pelleas, here is what happened. It all started ten years ago. I went out at sea searching for a special source of arcane energy. Then, a storm blew out at sea and I fell ill. Upon reaching the land, I was kidnapped by laguz slave traders and auctioned off. Unlike Rafiel, the competition between the bidders was nowhere near as intense and Senator Numida earned an easy victory. Because of repeated insubordination, I was sold yet again, but to another noble on Magvel, I think his name is Lyon. As far as I can remember, Numida made no money out of me, nor that he lost it, Lyon purchased me for exactly the same amount as Numida did."

Pelleas told her, "That does not account for what Grado did to you. It only tells me that you were brought into slavery because of your magic."

Vika was allowed to go on. "I arrived at Grado Keep long before Vigarde attacked Renais in the first in the first place. I knew I had a lot to learn about beorc. When I still was in Kilvas, I was once considered in the bids leading up to the position of the official mage of House Kilvas as the favorite, but I was defeated by someone I never knew of. After that day onwards, everyone, even people in my own village, looked down on me, but the same could not be said of the Grado court. I was the main feature of half the magic shows at the court, a beorc starred the other half. At that time, rumors flew that Lyon, the crown prince of Grado, was to engage me, but some strange courses of action thwarted his plans. Vigarde… urgh!" She is afflicted with a violent seizure. "It hurts! Get a healer to me!"

Pelleas, puzzled becaused of Vika's story, asked, "You mean that Grado suddenly changed its attitude towards laguz? If, at one point, you earned the respect of Vigarde, then why His Majesty suddenly hates laguz?"

Vika also pleaded Pelleas, "I conjure you, Lord Pelleas, I want you as my magic tutor. Only we can defeat the enemy commander. If not for you, I would be killed about now."

Pelleas told everyone that the army resumes battle tomorrow. As battle resumed, Vika transforms into a large-sized crow (granted, she is not as strong, wide or tall as Naesala, but still…) and alerts Tana of troops on the rooftop. Both of them avoided arrows as they picked on the eyes of beorc archers stationed on the fortress' rooftop. However, a hole has been pierced on the rooftop of the castle, due to magic cast the day before. Of course, Vika's superior vision (and hearing, though nowhere near as sensitive as Janaff or Ulki in those regards) allowed her to avoid arrows; Tana cut the bowstring of an archer's bow before going back up, because a Sniper targeted her.

Pelleas still battled Izuka's lackeys in the castle's main staircase, as did Amelia. All doors were locked; however, archer fire made Amelia go after the archers who went up just so they could fire arrows and kill Daein soldiers. One of them just undertook his Sniping (the process under which veteran archers promote and gain new abilities) and, at close quarters, the other Archer got killed. On the rooftop… a Swordmaster ordered to throw the boiling oil!

The boiling oil made some burns on Vika but she was not any more affected than if a Fire spell was cast at her. As for the fight against the Swordmaster, Tana used all the speed her mount could give her to avoid the sword. But both Vika and the beorc Falcoknight descended upon the Swordmaster, who just had the time to make a cut on Vika's body before dying. That cut meant that she untransformed, since her power exhausted. And she fell to the floor below, breaking the glass roof of the great hall.

Gheb, as she saw Vika fall through the roof, "Who is the worm that broke the glass roof? I shall crush him!"

The horror came: an untransformed Vika came through the roof as though she was an untransformed undead raven laguz. Then Gheb, Izuka's second-in-command, approached her with his axe, about to swing at it and she got up. And then, she was insulted.

Gheb taunted Vika, "Wretched sub-human zombie! You were worthless from the very beginning! I should never have worked with you to start with!"

Vika told him, "I show no sign of putrefaction! Come on out to fight me, if you dare!"

Gheb started swinging his axe around and Vika moved back as she began casting her spell. Since Gheb focused his battling on physical combat, he couldn't resist her spell much. Dark energy pierced his skin, wounding him to the point of not being able to fight. However, before she finished casting her second spell, Gheb cut her skin again. It is an untransformed Vika, full of weapon-inflicted cuts, that finally killed Gheb by using another Carreau spell on him.

Gheb screamed, in total disbelief: "Th-That's not poss…"

There were five Generals blocking the way to Izuka's room, which stood between Vika and Pelleas. However, she didn't have the strength to force the door, because she was severely wounded. Some of Pelleas' men were slaughtered while the first of these five Generals was killed. The magic could kill two of these and weaken the other two remaining, leaving an Halberdier to kill the fourth one and a Warrior to kill the last one. And then came the time for the door to be knocked down.

Izuka cursed the corpses between Pelleas and him, "All these useless curs! I will have to kill you myself!"

Pelleas ordered everyone else to back off. It was clear that a Carreau spell was not of much effect against one of Izuka's magical might. This is why he switched to another spell level, Verrine, since it was more suited for a magic fight of that level. He began to cast Verrine, but Izuka hit him with a Fenrir spell, hurting him somewhat. As he moved out of his spot, Pelleas finally cast his spell and hit Izuka as well.

On the rooftop, however, Tana was out of the sight of the soldier on the rooftop and the last Grado man standing threw a bucket of boiling oil on where Vika stood. She painstackingly evaded the boiling oil directed at her but some of the boiling oil got on the door that leads to the room where Izuka and Pelleas fight, burning the wooden joint.

After a couple of spells that were hit at each other… both men are exhausted and took so many hits that they couldn't cast any more spell without risking killing both men at once. And so, Vika could transform and rake her talons at Izuka, only to untransform right afterwards, because Tana stabbed the person who threw boiling oil at the raven laguz in the back. He then fell in the same hole by which Vika got on the floor.

An exhausted Pelleas spoke to Vika, "It… was… about time… you'd come…Vika…"

These exhausted people were brought to the camp, where healers tended to their wounds. However, everyone else still alive made the capture of Fort Rigwald a reality, for the casualties count on both sides were in the thousands. A few hours later, they could rest from what happened in the fortress. Eurytos then reported to Lord Pelleas that the rest of the enemy troops have been routed. Afterwards, Pelleas asks Eurytos to bring Vika to him, as he has a question he needs to be answered.

Vika asked, "What do you want?"

Pelleas asked her why Grado has invaded Renais. Vika cannot answer that question. She said that this war began on the emperor's orders and she does not have the slightest idea what he is after.

Pelleas asked, "Then tell me this: where is General Duessel?"

Vika answered, "In the capital. The general has been opposed to this war since the very beginning. He's been pleading for days now, but the emperor ignores him. They say some question the general's loyalty. He is jeopardizing his standing - and his life - by being so vocal."


	7. Enter the Laguz League

CHAPTER 7 :

ENTER THE LAGUZ LEAGUE

After several days of relentless march, Anna's group arrived in Port Kiris, with the Crimean army in position, both beorc and laguz. An heavy atmosphere fills the air. Anna is brought before Queen Elincia's tent. Elincia's tent was filled with Crimean guards, along with cat laguz under the banner of the Laguz League. Many people in the tent, both the Crimean beorc and the laguz, regarded the arrival of Daein soldiers with some contempt.

The first Halberdier asked, "Why are we lumped together with Daein beorc soldiers? I fought Daein soldiers when Ashnard still was alive; now, the Laguz League leaders want us to side with these Daeins? Isn't that a bit much, Highness?"

Elincia answered, "I have a seat at the Laguz League High Council. It was Klimt's idea to have these Daein soldiers join us here to bolster our ranks; we can't accuse Carcino of anything to ask our United Nations allies to fight with us!"

The second Halberdier then replied, "Hold on, Tibarn also wanted us Daeins to fight alongside us!"

A third Halberdier also pitched in, "Word is that Gallia also joins the United Nations and we get _more_ laguz to fight Grado's forces. Apparently Goldoa may reject U.N. membership for now. Begnion is quite reluctant to fight Grado for itself; the Senate prefers to stay hidden."

Anna tells everyone in the tent that Goldoa claims that it prefers to stay hidden because if they fight on, the enemy may be bolstered with Zombie Dragon Laguz whenever one of them falls in battle. But she also heard that the King did not want the dark god imprisoned within Lehran's Medallion to awaken. And, if the dark god awakens, Ashera will also awaken.

Tormod asked, "Anna, do you suspect the Demon King to be a creation of the dark god imprisoned in Lehran's Medallion?"

Anna answered that the sealing of the Demon King predates the division of Ashunera, the goddess creator of the world. If our data is correct, the sealing of the Demon King took place about 25 years before the division of Ashunera, which marked the "Great Flood", as it is known in Tellius. Elincia then stated that the Dark God was sealed in Lehran's Medallion by four Tellius-based heroes; Altina, Dheginsea, Soan and Lehran. "But we didn't come here to fight the dark god. We fight an army formed mostly of mercenaries, due to approach the city we hold in a couple of hours. They're due to arrive by nightfall.", she said.

A puzzled Royal Paladin of Crimea asked, "Nightfall? How many are they?"

Another person, a Thief that spied on behalf of Carcino, answered, "Ten thousand. This is when you count the Grado numbers with it. However, General Glen is entrenched in Caer Pelyn; this means that if we don't defeat the army we have to fight here, we will never recapture the entirety of Carcino."

Elincia, in a state of shock, "Ten thousand? If only Klimt agreed to empty the prisons and let the prisoners handle the defense of this place… After all, it worked for Onrac and the Daein army under Pelleas. How many prisoners do Port Kiris hold?"

The sniper at the other end of the tent tells Elincia that he never had the watch of the prison and she'd better ask that Archer next to him. He has a better idea how many men can fight among the prisoners. That archer answered, "This place is the only prison left in the free Carcino so the prisoners are in a significant number to turn the tides of the battle." The rainstorm did not prevent the Grado army to arrive at nightfall. However, the Laguz League knows that hawk laguz do not fight very well in the dark, so they left them out at the base camp and they could fight at will in the daytime.

Elincia spouted the standard warcry of the Laguz League, "FOR LAGUZ RIGHTS! FOR THE LAGUZ LEAGUE!"

For some reason, Klimt decided to remain hidden from the battlefields and to strategize instead. It meant that Queen Elincia led the actual battle. Anna transformed while Brom led his defensive battery with equally limited ammunition as the Grado army had when it laid siege to the Tower of Valni (five bolts per ballista) and one of his daughters to protect the battery on the walls. Brom ordered his ballista battery to fire.

A Wyvern Master was hit and brought back on the ground as a corpse. The other people who were hit were either Bonewalkers or living Knights. The mages on the first wall cast their spells at the moment where a fat Grado General went on to expel the loudest, longest, wettest, foulest smelling fart any beorc in the Laguz League stationed in Port Kiris will ever hear in their entire lives. However, the reach of that fart wasn't wide enough to do much damage even if a flaming ballista bolt was fired in that direction. Brom ordered his daughter Meg to stay away from the dragon's line of fire.

Meg had to talk back to her father, "Enemy Fighters are out for me!"

Meg drew her sword and faced the Fighters head-on, for a siege tower was brought up to the outer wall of the city. Because the enemy Fighters broke an entire platoon of Carcinoan and Crimean lance-wielders in pieces, while suffering only four casualties, the heavy sword-wielding units were brought up to the place where the men encased in the siege tower are marching from. She parried, with her shield, a few axe blows until she could hit the axe arm of the first Fighter.

Tormod ordered some men among the _Laguz Emancipation Army_ to target the nearest Siege Tower. The Catapult and mages surrounding it directed all their fire on the second siege tower, who exploded due to the methane the undead soldiers within the wooden frame emitted by rotting. Their debris made a few Mages fall out of the wall. As Meg approached a ladder brought up by the Grado enemy, she only encountered more fighters. With archery fire support (not ballistae because all bolts have been fired) she could push the enemy back from the wall.

Brom ordered his men to target the soldiers on the walls below them. The archers fired as quickly as possible, some Myrmidons fell, and some bandits were brought up the walls. Their main interest was to vandalize the city and slaughter innocent citizen, but they think the Laguz League could just station an army to chase them away. However, bandits saw no use for catapults, ballistae or siege towers; they just use ladders. Meg needed the help of another man to push the ladder back with two bandits on them. These bandits learned that their ladders were not safe to put several people on them to scale the walls because their ladder broke in two. Brom, however, saw the large battering ram being brought up to the city's main gate. The battering ram required fourteen knights for operation; he ordered the last catapult stone available on his catapult to be fired on the battering ram. Kieran, stationed behind the gate, waited for the gate to break before his cavalry enter battle. As for Anna, after she reverted back to normal, she just stayed close to the cavalry. According to her plan, from the very moment the battering ram breaks the gate open, the laguz stationed at that very location will all shapeshift and enter the fray.

On the inner walls, a Hero leads his men to the gates because they know that they will soon need it. As the battering ram begins to dent into the gate… the Hero shouted, "To the gates! Draw your swords!" The moment draws closer and the main gate snaps open. Then Anna transformed into a dragon under the horrified eyes of the people who manned the battering ram, seeing their ram set on fire just after she spat fire. Grado soldiers manned another smaller battering ram, who only required six people to man it. That battering ram was brought to one of the city's smaller gates, which was not nearly as strong as the main gate was. With their arrows, the archers could only dent into the heavy armors of the people who manned the ram before the gate was smashed into bits and pieces.

Brom ordered his daughter Meg to get down at the gate. Two gates were brought down, and the enemy got into the city by these two gates. Meg had a hard time cutting down the enemy Fighters, as they had sufficient axe proficiency to successfully counter swords in a fight. In the end, however, the Fighters were quite exposed to archery fire and that was their undoing.

Fiona warned Meg, "Watch out! A Hammer-wielding Warrior! Even if it's a heavy battleaxe, it can kill you really easily if it hits you!"

At this time, two Bow Knights hit the Warrior with their arrows. In pain, he moves slower, but he could still fight. From the archery hit, and the weight of his own weapon, he was so slow that even Meg could outrun him and stab him behind his back to rob him of what strength he still has. From that moment on, Meg undertook her Generalization. The enemy sought to keep their distances about the light emanating out of her.

What happens near Borgo Ridge, however, is completely different from the grand action that happens in the capital city of Carcino. The Daein army just left its camp, approaching the bandit stronghold the villagers told of. Said stronghold is encroached in a hardly accessible area. When they approach…

The Daein Halberdier on station tells everyone partaking in that operation, "The local villagers tell us that the Bazba Bandits keep a lair nearby. A few of them saw a lad matching the description of our key thief. It seems a fair guess that the youth is part of these bandits."

Ross, puzzled, "Bandits… Here in Renais, our homeland. I had no idea… Burning out villages and stealing from our people without fear of reprisal?"

Garcia answered his son that it wasn't always like this. The knights used to protect Renaisian citizenry… However, with Renais in ruins and its army tattered, law and order are hard to find. If they didn't do anything, Renais will plunge deeper into savagery. A strange figure then appeared in front of the group.

Neimi asked Calill, "Pardon me for asking, but… are you planning on fighting the Bazba Bandits?"

Calill answered, "Yes. Why do you ask?"

Neimi pleaded, "PLEASE, you have to help Colm. You have to! I told him it was too dangerous, but he wouldn't listen to me!"

Calill requested that Neimi starts to calm herself and to start at the beginning.

Neimi says, "All right." She sniffs and cries. "I'm Neimi. I'm from… I used to live in a village named Lark. Except that the village is gone."

Garcia asked Neimi to clear his doubt, "Gone? What do you mean?"

Neimi answered, "Bazba's bandits burned it down. Only Colm and I escaped."

The Halberdier asked Neimi, "What are you doing here?"

Neimi told him that the Bazba Bandits have a hideout nearby. That's where Colm… went to steal something from the bandits.

Calill turned to Neimi. "If the thief we're after has gone to the bandit hideout as well, we share a common cause with her." He asked Neimi, "Could you please lead the way?"

The bandits are going up to the defense of their lair, getting ready to fight the army of Daein. Lord Bazba expected to fight other Renais bandits, Grado or Frelia soldiers, but never he expected, in his lifetime, having to fight an army from another land.

The first Bandit asked his chief, "My lord, since when did you become a bandit?"

Lord Bazba answered that he felt that Grado killed the very essence of Renais when his country was conquered. He hoped to fight on against Grado so we could take our country back. But if you see a stranger, stick an axe in it. Lord Bazba closed the gate of his stronghold. With an Elfire spell aimed at the lock, Calill could at least give the opportunity for her squad to seize the bandits' gate. And Colm has just arrived at the very moment where the lock was burned down, seeing Neimi just behind her commanding officer.

Colm stated out of nowhere, "And here we go! These bandits are easy picking. I might as well start with these chests over there."

Neimi, in a state of shock, asked, "Colm?"

As Colm came out, he wondered, "Neimi! What are you doing here?" He shouted, "I told you to wait for me!"

Neimi warns Colm, "It's too dangerous. Let's go home."

Colm talked back, "But we have no home left!"

Even if a legitimate lord commanded that band of bandits, it didn't mean that the bandits were as equipped or trained as an official army would be. The rabble of the Bazba Bandits were armed and trained like any standard bandit group, with axes only and no armor. The swordsmen of the Daein army crushed the rabble like worms, while suffering a limited number of casualties. Even Neimi could kill two bandits from behind.

Colm just opened the three chests located on the first room. He swiftly and secretly opened the lock leading to another room with only one chest, and Neimi followed him through the door while his companions fought the other way through the cavern hideout. The men could easily kill the unarmored mettle of the bandits while their total casualties would be no more than ten. Then came the enemy commander, who killed some Daein men while they were caught off-guard.

Lord Bazba himself was a General clad in black, heavy plate armor, with white crests not unlike that of Renais (or Daein, but since he never heard of Daein before, it was unlikely that he came from Daein in the first place, let alone defected from the Daein army) officers. His Spear ready to be thrown, he engaged Garcia and Ross, both at once, because he wasn't interested in fighting what he claimed to be worthless outlanders. Of course, with the weight of his armor, he moved much slower than the bandit rabble could and Garcia picked up a Hammer and nailed Lord Bazba down, leaving his son for the kill.

In Port Kiris, however, the battle of the Laguz League did not go as planned, though dawn finally arrived and the laguz of the bird tribes were able to fight again. The enemy has broken through the middle city through the gates of the outer walls. Anna ordered her men to fall back to the inner city.

To cover the retreat of the beorc troops of the Laguz League, Anna spat fire at the enemy, creating a wall of fire that Grado soldiers and bandits-for-hire didn't dare to cross. Further fire spitting burnt some people, including some more Grado soldiers, who thrust Dragonslayers into what they thought was Anna's body, but the survivors only saw their weapons melt. They then fell back to the base camp, looking for other weapons, but the cavalry had the best of them. Because there was cavalry in some corners of Port Kiris still hidden from the fire.

Meg held on, fighting enemy Mercenaries with her heavy armor on. But then came the time for her to fall back to the inner keep. Even with bird laguz, it was hard to defend the inner city. Brom gave the order to pour the boiling oil on the enemy formations. The path of the boiling oil met the flames created by Anna's fire before she reverted to her humanoid form, thus bursting even more enemy soldiers into flames. As the survivors fell back, they regrouped for a final assault with the last battering ram available to force the main gate if that still was possible.

Beorc and beast-tribe laguz were not left behind: they were ordered to kill any Grado soldier in sight. Exceptionally, Fiona captured a prisoner, and brought it to Klimt, entrenched in the castle. Right afterwards, she killed an enemy Archer with a Killer Bow that seemed intent on killing another Daein soldier next to her out on the narrow, paved street in one of the residential districts.

As a Mage killed a wounded Hawk Laguz, he promoted and soon became the target of Fiona as soon as she could see where he is. Her steed was fast enough to dodge spells, whereas the physical speed of the newly promoted Sage was not sufficient to avoid the thrust of the polearm, thus making his body bleed. With one arm, he tried to cast another spell but he wasn't quick enough to dodge, especially with the wounds he received and the physical moves the process of spell casting involves. The Sage died because of his wound-caused inertia.

Fiona's Paladinization made her face a painful choice. She must choose another weapon in order to return to the fray. "Perhaps the axe!", she thought. She knows better than anyone else that axes, though powerful, are more inaccurate than other weapons, provided that the same strength, skill and proficiency levels exist in the various wielders. With her newfound strength, she battles the Grado Soldiers (unfortunately, the enemy Soldiers cannot evolve into Halberdiers, as she discovered) until the bird laguz rejoin her position in a dark street near the inner city.

Brom went into another street with one of his children, Meg, to fight other Grado soldiers along with the mercenaries at Grado's employ. Elincia ordered her close guard to target the enemy cavalry.

The enemy cavalry came into the city as a last-ditch attempt to kill all the defenders left into the city. But the enemy didn't take in account that there still was archery and catapults up in the walls. Catapult "gunners" knew that the projectiles hurled by a catapult would most likely hit more than one rider in the area where it falls. A big rock crushed a rider, not knowing how many rocks there was left for his men to sustain.

Two Cavaliers were rendered afoot because of their horses being frightened. A third one got his horse slain by Brom and Meg was left to fight the two dismounted Cavaliers. These horse riders were so used to fighting from horseback that they lack the training to fight dismounted, so Meg took about one minute to kill both, not without getting her shield scraped in the process.

However, in the dark cellars of the House of Elders of Port Kiris, the building where the Elders of the ruling Council of Elders have their sessions, Klimt interrogates the prisoner brought by Fiona through the sewers. A smelly prisoner was asked a few questions.

Klimt asked the smelly prisoner, "Sir, if you wish this nonsensical conflict to end rapidly, you'd be best to answer rapidly. My first question is who employs you. Because you're trained professionals and…"

The disarmed fighter answered, "Pablo. His base camp is in the Teraz Plateau."

Klimt continues, "Until I'm through with you, you cannot say sub-human. My second question: why did he join Grado?"

The disarmed fighter answered, "As an Elder, he felt that the sub… er, laguz were nothing but trouble."

Klimt asked one last question, "how many people are left in Teraz Plateau?"

As his last words, the disarmed fighter said, "I'd say about 1,500."

The disarmed fighter was thrown in the sewers, where the current washed him and the raven laguz ate him piecemeal as his body went to the sea. Then, the raven laguz went back to the main action and ate the eyes of careless Grado soldiers and foolhardy mercenaries. With some hawk laguz, Elincia and Haar corner the enemy commander.

Haar ordered his men to target the enemy commander. He was fighting a Wyvern Master while Elincia took care of the close guard of the Wyvern Master. (Wyvern Masters are the promoted forms of Wyvern Riders and all have followed a process called Wyvern Mastery, carried out through an Elysian Whip, Master Seal or veterancy) That man had almost the same armor as General Glen, except for one thing: he is unrelated to either him or General Valter. There is no chance that it was any of the two high-ranked Generals of Grado that ride wyverns in battle. In his fight, Haar cut the tail of the enemy steed, making its poisoned flesh hit another Grado soldier. Said Grado soldier complains to his commander that he has been poisoned, sir. "Do you have an Antidote?", he asked.

His commander throws an Antidote from his sash and continues to fight Haar, even with an injured wyvern. The injuries of his wyvern, though, motivated him to take the fight aground, leaving Haar to fight his lackeys until the U.N. Delegate of Phoenicis arrived and transformed.

Haar exclaimed, "It was about time! His lackeys are too strong for me!"

The Delegate of Phoenicis could rip through the body of the Dragon Master but only with Haar's aid. It was about the last man standing for Grado, so the Laguz League earned victory.


	8. The Great Confusion

CHAPTER 8 :

THE GREAT CONFUSION

Nevassa. King Ike has received a message from the messenger Lord Pelleas sends to the King after the capture of Fort Rigwald. The hawk laguz begins to read Pelleas' letter, in front of the Kingdom Council:

"_Your Majesty, the troops under my command have captured one of the key fortresses of Grado, Fort Rigwald. We discovered there that Goldoa won't fight because its king fears that the dark god within Lehran's Medallion will awake and Ashera will also awaken at that time. According to one of the prisoners we freed from Fort Rigwald, Grado suddenly shifted its attitude towards laguz; even Vigarde, when King Ramon of Crimea was still alive, supported what he wanted to accomplish. Also, Queen Crimea is currently stationed in Port Kiris, the capital of Carcino. However, some people among the Laguz League say that awakening the dark god is the key to defeat the Demon King._

_Also, if Vika told the truth, the dark god inside Lehran's Medallion is not just a dark god; it's also the key to defeat what they call the Demon King. And also, we suspect that Begnion also turned down U.N. membership because someone – or something – among Grado and/or the Begnion Senate has coerced the second nation to fight for it. However, Kilvas has accepted to join the Laguz League just as Gallia does. I also noticed that Magvel and Tellius clerics don't tell the same things about beorc and laguz and how they behave towards the goddess. It seems that all the remaining beorc nations on Magvel (Frelia, Jehanna, Rausten and Carcino) have a better understanding of the laguz issue. However, some Magvel fanatics, especially from Rausten, claim that beorc come from Magvel and the laguz from Tellius._

_On a side note, Calill's group are on their way to Borgo Ridge, where they are to fight a group of bandits led by a member of the Renaisian nobility. And Anna's group has been dispatched to Port Kiris to assist the Laguz League's army in the defense of Port Kiris and of Carcino as a whole."_

Ike, puzzled, "Weird… Begnion supports Grado? Just after the Serenes Massacre, Grado embargoed Begnion and the Phoenicis army began to attack Begnion ships. I really don't see why Begnion, all of a sudden, would fight with Grado instead of against it. The apostles (from Misaha onwards) wouldn't even try to do so…"

Tauroneo questions what Ike said. "This is becoming more and more confusing. The dark god within Lehran's Medallion is a key to defeat the Demon King? I couldn't believe it."

Jarod turns to Soren. "What is the Demon King anyway?", he asked.

Soren made his lengthy answer. He explained that the Demon King had been sealed away eight hundred years ago, by five beorc heroes from Magvel, led by Grado. Also, in the heyday of the Demon King's dominion over Magvel, the people of the area fought many monsters that were considered as legend and fairy tale material not so long ago. It brought the population of Magvel to the brink of annihilation, both beorc and laguz. Grado's men defeated the Demon King's army with the aid of the Sacred Stones. The first five nations were founded on the legacies and the power of a Sacred Stone, the kingdoms of Renais, Frelia and Jehanna, the theocracy of Rausten and the Grado Empire. They were finally joined by the mercantile republic of Carcino.

However, in Palmeni Temple, where Mist and Lehran's Medallion reside, something happens within the hallowed walls of the temple as Mist and her priests pray while focusing on Lehran's Medallion. It was 23 o'clock (the 24-hour clock was in use in the Palmeni Temple) and she felt as though the Medallion itself became an increasingly heavy burden on her body.

Mist screams out of pain. "Arrrghhhhhhh… It hurts!" She also warned everyone in the vicinity. "Don't touch the Medallion!"

At that moment, Lehran's Medallion went luminous, outsourcing all other sources of light in the room, mostly candles. And she fainted, her body laying on the stone-made floor. Two priests brought her to her room and Tomenami, an old Bishop, tended to his superior, not knowing the special status she held towards the Medallion. Two days later, she regained consciousness.

Mist feebly asks to Tomenami, "Where am I?... What I'm doing… here?"

Tomenami answered that she is in the Palmeni Temple. "Before you lost consciousness, Your Grace, you asked everyone else not to touch the Medallion. Why is that so?", he asked.

Mist answered, "That object? It is a keepsake of my mother, though I later discovered it was an object of great peril. The Medallion magnifies the worst aspects of a person thousandfold. It is the object known by as the Fire Emblem."

Tomenami replied, "We know that the Medallion is a strong poison, and it is in the Medallion that Lehran, the ancestor of the heron tribe, along with the other heroes, imprisoned the dark god inside."

Mist also said, "I remember my brother, the King, actually trying to reach for it, when our father still lived. He scolded me harshly, even if he had gone berserk with the Medallion once. If you know anything of my father's death, you know he died before my brother was crowned king, at the hands of the Black Knight. When my father touched the Medallion, twenty soldiers have come for him. He barely broke a sweat killing them. Then he began killing the people around him and, at the last moment, my mother came out, removed the Medallion from his hand and was slain."

Tomenami, astonished, "Your brother is the King? Then, Your Highness, I suppose that your brother, the King, knows all of what you said here. I knew General Gawain for a time, he was one of the Four Riders when I knew him." He also asked, "I am curious, though. Why can you carry it safely?"

Mist answered that, compared to other people, balance within herself is extremely strong. "We both know that people are made from both balance and chaos. If ordinary people touched the Medallion, they would be consumed by madness, given sufficient time. That is the secret of the royal family as I know it. The only way to appease the energies of the Medallion is through seid magic." she said.

The Bishop, puzzled by what Mist said, asked, "Seid magic? Who can use seid magic?" He then told her, "The heron clan would, but I never heard anything about the survivors, except that Reyson and Leanne are unable to suppress the energies within the bronze object. And that Ashnard killed Princess Lillia because he wanted her to release the dark god and she didn't have that power. Your mother, Highness, has also resided in this place for a time and she took the Medallion away from Daein."

Mist grudgingly said, "The true heir of Altina can do it."

Tomenami suggested, "Then just announce that the true heir of Altina show up at Palmeni Temple to solve a royal problem!"

Mist warned, "Before I take the leave of the Temple, I have to store the Medallion in the Temple's vault."

She readied her horse, in order to ride to the capital, where his brother resides. Two says later, Mist has arrived in Nevassa amid heavy fog and she had to light a torch to see through the fog in order to get to the palace. As she dismounted, she arrived at the palace bearing seemingly ill news.

Ike scolded his sister, "Calm down, Mist. What happened in your temple while I was away?"

Mist answered, "Majesty, I fell ill because of Lehran's Medallion. Not that I went berserk because of it, I know I couldn't. Just that there is only one way to suppress the energies erupting out of it: singing the galdr of release. Sephiran told us that only the true heir of Altina can activate its effect: even if I sang it, the medallion would be unaffected."

Soren, perplexed, "Would that awaken the dark god? There are two ways to awaken the dark god: by galdr or through the chaos of war."

Tauroneo also asked the other people in the room, "Would our troops' fight in Grado have anything to do with the dark god energizing its presence?"

Jill answered, "I think that the goddess wouldn't want to see laguz in chains, either Grado or Begnion. If the rumors are true, then both Grado and Begnion have to be defeated."

Jarod, doubting Jill's answer, "Begnion? To defeat Grado and Begnion, we'd need virtually every remaining nation to fight together! Even if that did happen, would we awaken the dark god through battle?"

Tauroneo, to counter Jarod's statement, said, "I think that, if awakening the dark god is a necessity, that it is best done through galdr instead of battle. Even if we defeated the Demon King, it wouldn't guarantee it wouldn't awake the dark god!"

Soren releases his mounting anger at the other people in the Kingdom Council, "I think you're all speculating on the lack of knowledge you have of the Great Creation! The first chapter of the tome of Nazania describes the whole story."

"_At the very beginning of the world there was a girl named Ashunera. She was a very unique girl, as she was the goddess…the very one who had created the planet. She was kind and gentle, but also very lonely, as she was the only being in existence, so because of this she created a variety of creatures that she could live with. Some had wings, some had fur, and some even resembled herself._

_After some time __Ashunera realized that the creatures were changing. They were learning new skills, getting new ideas, even learning how to communicate with one another. this made the goddess sad, but also very happy. On one hand she realized she was not needed in order for the other beings to exist. They were perfectly capable of helping themselves. On the other hand, however, the goddess was amazed that the beings were so unpredictable. They were ever changing into something new and exciting, and this pleased the girl very much._

_In time, the goddess made many close friends. She met the human swordswoman named Altina, and the heron prince Lehran. There was also the lion named Soan, and the dragon king named Dheginsea. All of them loved the goddess very much, and so they gave her a special name; the goddess of dawn._

_But this peace would not last. _

_The powerful beings that could transform into animals and the intelligent beings that could craft tools began to argue. One side challenged the other saying theirs was superior. Over time the conflict grew stronger and stronger, until it seemed they would end the dispute in a war. To prevent this, the girl gave the two sides special names. She named the powerful beings "laguz", who were to be the children of power and she named the intelligent beings "Beorc", who were to be called the children of wisdom. This did not prevent the fighting, however. Instead, the two sides waged war using their new names as their banners. _

_The goddess Ashunera saw all this and was deeply upset. even her slowest friends were fighting a war of senseless pride. As time went on Ashunera's emotions grew more and more out of control. until one day, she simply lost control. The entire world was quickly covered in an immeasurable flood. It was so large, and so powerful, that almost every continent was destroyed. All but two…Magvel and Tellius, and it was all because Ashunera lost control of her powers for one second._

_Ashunera__ was devastated at this, and so she split herself into two separate beings. One was Ashera, the goddess of order, and Yune, the goddess of chaos. The two were to consult one another before they took any action regarding the people of the world. In this, a perfect balance would be attained, and another great disaster would never occur again._

_One day, however, Ashera proclaimed that Yune was to be destroyed. She said that she could not risk another disaster like the flood, and so she had to be perfect; without chaos. Yune no doubt tried to flee, But Ashera blessed her greatest fighters, including the lion king, Soan, and sent them to subdue Yune. In time she was defeated, and she was to face Ashera's judgement._

_Yune, now in tears, told her she was only trying to have fun, and that she never meant to hurt anyone. Regardless, Altina begged Ashera not to destroy Yune. Lehran told Ashera that, without her chaotic counterpart, she would be incomplete. Ashera was not moved, however, and went on to say that she would also destroy the two races and start over._

_This is when Lehran made a proposal. He asked that Yune be sealed in his medallion, and that the two sisters would sleep for 1000 years. If, in this time, war broke out once again, Yune would wake up and with her, Ashera. She would then follow through with her plans. However, if Yune remained asleep for 1000 years, the people would be spared. Exceptions were made as well, if Lehran's "galdr of release" was ever played in front of the medallion, Ashera would not awaken. And conversely, if Lehran saw that there was no hope for humanity, he would awaken Ashera himself. Yune told Lehran she was afraid, but Lehran promised she wouldn't be alone, that he would wrap her in peaceful galdrar. Ashera agreed, and so the two were sealed._

_The dragon king Dheginsea then told a great lie. He covered the truth and told the people that a "dark god" was sealed in the medallion, and that if war b__roke out it would be let free. This dark god was the one responsible for destroying most of the world. He knew this was not the truth, but he wanted to make sure the people would not ever go to war._ "

Mist, puzzled at the contents of the Tome of Nazania, "What the? It was not even a dark god inside Lehran's Medallion! And what of the Demon King? Where in the Tome of Nazania would it describe anything about what created him or what was his relationship with Ashunera?"

Soren turned and answered to Mist, "Other sections of the Tome of Nazania would probably describe anything about the Demon King himself."

Jarod vehemntly said, "We must not allow this information to break out in the open field!"

At this effect, Ike wrote a letter to the Apostle entrenched in Begnion about Mist's request. But, knowing that to awaken Yune is not a decision to be taken lightly, he includes every detail that should be known about Yune and the consequences of awakening her. What Ike does not know is that Sanaki is not in the Mainal Cathedral, as he expected. He sends out a fast rider to get to Sanaki as fast as he can. And no army crest need apply.

Ike asks Tauroneo, "Is there any messengers at all I can have sent to search for Sanaki?"

Tauroneo answers to his sovereign, "No, Majesty, try the pub and see if there is anyone willing to help."

Ike and a few of his men, including Gatrie, Rolf and Mia, come at Largo's inn (his wife left the inn because of Pelleas' request), where plenty of people are on standby for diverse requests. He needs to get help but no one from the castle must be involved and he can't go himself or he risks being overthrown.

Ike hollers, "I need the fastest wyvern rider available and willing to accept a Knight status."

Being a Knight does not necessarily mean to go into battle; some people are knighted because they did great services to the country, no matter the services actually are. Others because they changed classes through the appropriate promotion process (i.e. Paladinization, Generalization and sometimes Halberdiering or Wyvern Mastery for Daein, add to that Falcon Knighting in Begnion or Frelia).

The King is instantly surrounded by wyvern riders of all kinds. He recognizes some of the people who delivered parcels and other cargo to the palace. They often received basic weapon training, usually lances, so they can defend themselves.

Ike exclaims, "I found the one we need!" He turns to the chosen wyvern rider. "Fly to the capital, and not to stop for anyone. Go see Empress Sanaki immediately and hand her the letter that I wrote. You are to tell that it is King Ike of Daein that sends you.", he instructs.

The young rider leaves, donning the brown armor usually worn by the people at Haar's service when he still operated an express cargo service around Tellius. That cargo service was often used by Daein nobles, and then rich people. Some of the people who received express cargo using that service were often outside Daein, even ranging through Begnion's Mainal Cathedral.

However, at the Za'ha Woods' edge, Calill's group go down to a halt.

Moulder said to Calill, "We're approaching Serafew, at the borders of Renais and Grado. Once we cross, we'll be in Grado. Renvall won't be much farther."

Calill replied to Moulder, "That is, assuming that we cross the border without mishap. Oh! Look over there!"

Colm: What are they? Are they… beorc? Laguz? I've never seen anything like this before.

At the southern village, on the other side of the river, two magic-users talk about the strange figures that appeared in the woods, inside the safety of the palisade.

Artur asks Lute, "What have we done to deserve the trials before us? What is happening to us? How could such abominations walk out lands when the Sacred Stones protect us?"

Lute sighs. Artur warns her, "Lute, please, it's dangerous outside the walls. Stay here in the village."

Lute explained to the monk, "Those are revenants. They were the vanguard of the Demon King in the days of darkness. The Tome of Nazania describes them in chapter 2, section 7, paragraph 8."

Artur asks if she knows of them. To this, Lute answers, "Duh! I'm a prodigy. I recall most everything I hear or see. According to the book, revenants attack using razor-sharp claws. It sounds quite painful." Artur explains to her, "Be that as it may, I must go aid those travelers outside. You should stay here in the safety of the village."

Lute says to Artur before he leaves, "Very well. I don't mind staying here. In fact, it seems to be the smarter choice."

Artur leaves the village and slips, unnoticed by the monsters, through the woods to rejoin the ranks of the Daein army entrenched there. As Lute returns to her library, she thinks of what she could have done. "Magic is far more powerful than any monster's claws. The thickest hide and the strongest armor are useless against magic's power. I guess I could have studied swords, but magic is the only thing worthy of me. Even if this village was assaulted by monsters, I could defend it perfectly.", she thought.

As Artur approached the Daein positions, he warns the group.

Artur warns the group, "Travelers! Listen to me! The ancient forest of Za'ha is dangerous. Head south before the monsters surround you!"

Calill asked him, "Who are you?"

Artur answered, "I'm Artur. The temple has sent me to cleanse this forest of these things. There are so many of the fiends, though. I wonder if I stand much chance alone. If you would, please aid us in this operation."

Calill wondered, "Fiends? You're not talking about the same fiends that served the Demon King? Phoenicis and Kilvas are the primary targets of these monsters!" To that question, Artur answered, "Yes, they are."

Colm also warned Calill, "General, beware! Something approaches!"

A mogall flies towards Artur. He quickly casts spells of light magic, as blinding light make mogalls' eyes wither and die. Artur tells Calill that one of his companions is in the village in the south. "If you can get there quickly, watch over her safety.", he continued.

Luckily, there isn't many undead laguz to fight, so they're left with ghostly beorc corpses; some of them only have razor-sharp claws like living beast laguz, other are in their skeleton states. The beorc troops of Grado are nowhere to be found in this place.

When the battle begins, Neimi took an arrow from her quiver, targeting a Gargoyle that threatened his childhood friend lying in ambush for other monsters to come to him and steal from him. The arrow she shot made the Gargoyle fall on Colm's head, crushing him. With the weight of a Gargoyle corpse on his head, Colm rolled his body sideways, not knowing it would make a Revenant trip on it. As soon as the Revenant is "abed", he stabs the zombie and steals a small leather pouch containing 500 gold.

As for the Halberdier's group, they encounter an abandoned cabin, full of monsters like Tarvos (centaur-shaped monsters who fight with axes) and Bonewalkers. He ordered the house's door to be knocked over. They discovered two Tarvos and plenty of Bonewalkers that had to be killed before they can grab whatever the monsters kept.

The Halberdier exclaims, "An axe! I can finally hone the axe skills my Halberdiering gave me!"

Though very rough, Halberdiers are granted axe skill upon promotion. The whole class is named after a weapon that dealt damage like an axe and was specifically designed against cavalry. He used the axe to hack away at the Tarvos' legs but the beast parried a few blows. Before it died, it left a few keys to be used to free someone – or something – from their monstruous hands.

Moulder ordered, "Hurry to the village south of here! We must make way!"

As they approach, the monsters also made their approach through the woods to get to the village's gate. They found a young girl no older than 11 casting spells away. She seems to match the description Pelleas made of the girl Calill should avoid back to the days when they were still in Daein.

Calill shouts, "Help has arrived!"

Lute: You show no sign of putrefaction. It seem that you must not be in the Grado undead army. I have decided to join in battle now. My name is Lute. I'm a mage of superior wisdom and rare ability. I've been reading up on these revenants. They are simply no match for me, for I'm superior, after all.

No doubt about it: Pelleas was correct. But how skilled she actually was compared to Calill, or even Pelleas himself? It appears that she possess extensive knowledge, but it is often claimed that people with intellectual gifts like hers are either boastful or depressive. And if she was as skilled as she claimed, she would already have promoted. Or she would soon become a Sage given enough battle experience.

However, Lute had a second-hand anima tome, which meant that it wouldn't last long until the ammunition would be exhausted. She blasted fire away at the Revenant, but it only was the rabble. Once the rabble has been cleared, the battle turns to the southeast area, where the commander of that force (not even a living beorc or laguz) awaits. He appears as an Entombed, who is a promoted Revenant, a promoted beorc (when he still lived) or a powerful zombie laguz on its humanoid form. The latter was proven correct, as the "entombed" transformed into a dragon whose hide show signs of putrefaction.

Calill ordered her men to stay away from the dragon's line of fire. The rotten body of the dragon could not move his head fast enough to hit any of the soldiers but it took several hits from magic, like Calill's Elthunder or Lute's Fire. To his laguz-based weakness to thunder magic, one adds a fire weakness when zombified. With some magic, the dragon fell apart…

Meanwhile, in Renais Castle… a conversation between Knoll and Orson, the puppet King of Renais, begins in the throne room. Orson tells Knoll that he never wanted to participate in the destruction of Renais by himself.

Knoll said, "You once were a knight in Renais' service…" He asked, "Why did you decide to turn your back on Renais and fight for Grado instead?"

Orson asked the druid, "Do you want me to share a secret with you?" Knoll accepts, but only if he can make use of that secret to find a way to free Renais. The Paladin told him that it's because he was granted the possibility to see his wife again that he was offered the throne of Renais. To this end, he signed a blood pact.

Knoll, genuinely curious about Orson's comments, "A blood pact? You heard stories about the forbidden blood pact? Let me tell you a story involving a blood pact."

Orson told him, "You're the man, after all…"

Knoll explained that a blood pact has been used by Ashnard to kill the royal family of Daein like twenty years ago, in the year 628, according to the Tellius calendar. Many in Tellius say it was a plague, but it was not a plague: one of the sides activated the curse of the blood pact. Ashnard convinced his father that he was simply signing a contract to purchase the services of an extra advisor. The curse itself was to slowly kill the people dear to one of the parties. One person the first day, two people the second day, three people the third day and so on. Twenty princes and princesses were killed and roughly a thousand people in total. He killed his father to dispel the blood pact.

Orson commented, "I never heard of Ashnard before." He asked, "Who is this… Ashnard?"

Knoll answered that he was the Mad King of Daein in the Mad King's War in Tellius, three years ago. After Daein's defeat, Ike was crowned king there – and Daein actually fights in Renais to _free_ laguz, unlike Ashnard, whose attitude towards laguz is very much like Begnion's. Begnion enslaves laguz and mistreats them. I remember Vigarde supporting the Crimea-Gallia alliance, even back to the days when it bound only the ruling classes (i.e. when King Ramon still lived).

Orson continued, "Before I betrayed Renais, laguz were considered people to protect like any other." He asked to the magician, "Is there a way to dispel the blood pact?"

Knoll tells him that. fortunately, there is a solution. The blood pact breaks when the pact-maker is killed by a third party. This information is in a book hidden away in a secret room. "I think it is reliable. And this is exactly how it is written.", he commented.

Orson, in disbelief, "You can't be serious!"

Knoll countered Orson and tries to convince him. "Of course I am! This is the way to save Renais! Because of Grado, our nation is forced to fight the Daein army to the west and the Laguz League to the northeast. Western Renais is almost completely under Daein's control.", he said.

"Daein?", Orson said. "These... Daein rats are catapult fodder for General Duessel's army. However, I must ask you to reconsider. There has to be another way! There must be!", he pleads.

Knoll counter-attacked by saying, "We cannot wait for another solution to present itself."

Orson, finally convinced, said, solemnly, "Then, so be it. It is a noble end for me as ruler, dying so my people can live."

Knoll asks the guards of the puppet King of Renais to bring him to the execution area. As for all nobles, when they are beheaded, the executioner makes use of a sword, instead of the traditional axe used for commoners. Renais Castle's executioner is a General whose helmet covers entirely his face. With his sword skill, it was over in an instant.


	9. Treason

CHAPTER 9 :

TREASON

The Daein army makes its next move out of Fort Rigwald. As Pelleas' men left the fortress, the Frelian army gained control of the place. And the departure of Lord Pelleas meant that his troops had to pack before reinforcements arrive. Pelleas asks Vika, "Can you spot how long would it take to the Frelian army to get here?" Vika answers that it would take them three hours to get here. Better pack all the supplies we can. Lord Pelleas then told everyone in this area that they leave this place tomorrow.

The packing process was painful, but, at the same moment, a spy with some bruises returned to Pelleas, bearing an hastily-written intelligence report. And that intelligence report was all about Grado's next move. Pelleas himself expected to fight Lord Duessel's army, but only if he made his advance. However, in Grado Keep, Vigarde has a meeting with Valter and Lyon in the throne room. They seem to plan a course of action concerning Lord Duessel.

Vigarde begins to talk to Valter. "Your orders", he says.

Valter says, at this moment, "I'm ready, Your Majesty. In your service, I'm prepared to do…"

Vigarde reports that Duessel has left for Bethroen. According to his intelligence reports, the Daein army is to pass through that city. Valter is to take a regiment and follow him.

Valter mechanically replies, "Understood. When I arrive, I will put my men at his disposal."

Vigarde admonishes him, "You will not. Strike Duessel down, for he is a traitor. He abandoned his country and sided with Daein. The punishment for treason is death."

Valter, puzzled, "B-but… General Duessel is a traitor? That's not possible! There must be a mistake…" Vigarde sighs. Valter continues, "No… I didn't mean that you were mistaken, Majesty."

Vigarde answers, "Valter, you have your orders. You will execute Duessel."

Valter made his speech. "Your Majesty, I have a question for you. When Your Majesty saw fit to make me a general, you shared with me some words of wisdom. I remember the moment quite clearly. You told me that the role of an imperial general was that of the shield, not the blade. We are here to protect our citizens, you said – not to threaten our neighbors. I have never forgotten your words. I have held them to my body. They govern my very action as a general. Your Majesty, that sentiment is still alive, and…" Vigarde cut in the middle of Valter's speech and finished by ordering to Valter to go.

The Daein army, under the command of Pelleas, marched southward for a week, not knowing that Grado troops are waiting for them. Their fears are assuaged because, it seems, most of the Grado armies are mobilized against the Laguz League's forces and Vigarde considers his worst enemy not to be Daein but the Laguz League (a coalition, led by Jehanna, that comprises the following countries: Gallia, Kilvas, Crimea, Carcino and Phoenicis). As they approach Bethroen…a Pegasus Knight flies up to Pelleas himself, as she is the messenger.

The Pegasus Knight reports, "Please wait, Lord Pelleas. On behalf of the United Nations, I have a message from Frelia. There has been an uprising in Carcino. Pablo is leading a horde of renegade soldiers and Grado supports the rebellion."

Pelleas asks, "In Carcino… Any word of Eirika or Elincia? Are they safe?"

The Pegasus Knight answers that the last word we had was that the Laguz League's forces were heading to assist Prince Innes in the Teraz Plateau. She has not heard of them since.

Pelleas admonishes the Pegasus Knight, "Blast. The U.N. General Assembly sent Eirika to Rausten thinking it would be the safest mission. If I could, I would pull out of here and look for her but…"

Eurytos called Lord Pelleas back to order. Pelleas sermonned, "I know, I know. I must not let the emotions guide my actions. If Carcino has allied itself with Grado, then defeating Grado is our best bet. We proceed as planned. Tell the Laguz League that we proceed as planned."

Vika mechanically states, "Understood."

Pelleas makes a wish. "Be careful, Eirika."

The ground shakes below the positions they held. Some men were destabilized while other people had to get back on their horses that fell sideways.

Amelia asks, "Was that an earthquake? I think it passed."

Pelleas answers, "I've heard that such tremors happened quite often in Grado. Apparently, they're usually weak and they cause little damage, if any."

Bethroen. A severe thunderstorm constrained Valter to avoid flying and to remain in the makeshift camp his men pitched outside the walls. He goes out to rejoin Duessel's army, assembled at the other side of the city. However, with weather as crummy as it is at the time, he is to cross the city afoot. When he finally arrived at the docks, both generals got to meet in an abandoned warehouse, to avoid being seen by the foolish civilians still outside in the storm.

A puzzled Duessel asks, "I do not understand… Why this course of action? What is the emperor thinking?"

Valter then admonishes General Duessel.

Duessel asks again, "Is that you, Valter? Are you assisting me in this… duty?"

Valter answers, "Yes. Daein's army will be coming soon by the north. We're just waiting for the order to engage them."

Duessel said, "Lord Pelleas leads the enemy forces, isn't he?"

Valter replies, "That is correct. Lord Pelleas, one of the Peers of Daein.

Duessel spouts out, "Bah." Valter then says to Duessel that Daein is his enemy. "General, please give the order to attack.", Valter pleads.

Duessel refused. "No. Order all units to hold. Do not initiate the attack. I must speak with Pelleas first.", he angrily said.

Valter said, "So it's true. You plan to betray the empire and ally yourself with the enemy."

Duessel, angry, asked, "What?"

Valter solemnly told him, "General Duessel, you stand accused of treason of the highest order. Lay down your weapons, and follow my commands. If you fail to do so, if you resist in any way, I will execute you on the spot."

A Berserker reports to General Valter that he just found a wounded sub-human on the street nearby. "Sub-humans. They deserve nothing but death! I'll kill that one personally.", Valter thought.

Valter goes out to the central plaza of Bethroen where said laguz is brought by his personal guards. Duessel uses that diversion to get out of the city and meet with Pelleas in the outskirts of the city, on a muddy terrain, where the Daein army pitched camp, despite the heavy rain nearby.

Pelleas calls out, "Duessel!"

Duessel asks, in surprise, "Is that you, Lord Pelleas?"

Pelleas asks Duessel, "Why are these Grado men after you? What's going on? Wait, we can talk later. We've got to carry you to safety first." He pleaded, "Come with us, Duessel."

Duessel answers, "I am General Duessel, the Obsidian, of the Imperial Three… This name and my service to His Majesty have been my life's blood. As of this moment, it is all gone. I have no reason to continue."

Pelleas sermons him, "Enough of this rubbish! The Grado of today mistreats laguz at every corner! I will not let you die before all the laguz of Grado are secured and freed!"

Duessel admonishes Lord Pelleas. Pelleas says that he knows about the emperor's madness. "How will your death serve Grado? Who will it help? What of this country's future with the laguz? Its people? Its future?", he asks.

Duessel, despite his treason, states, "I understand. This old fool's life is yours."

By that time, Duessel came back into the city, ordered his men to pack up and leave and, as Bethroen's streets are rather tight, it was a royal pain to get all of them out before Valter's men were done with the laguz hunt. However, they made it in the nick of time.

Duessel hastens his troops, "Quickly, before we are discovered!"

Valter did not even have time to pour out arrows or boiling oil that he receives another messenger out for him. And, with the weather, it's definitely not a flying messenger. It's a courier on horseback, but he is not in brown armor, it means that it's not Daein's Express Mail Service. It must be a knight or someone within Grado.

Valter, curious, asked, "What's this?" He reads the parchment. "I am to be deployed in Jehanna? The upstart Laguz League broke through Caellach's ranks?", he wondered.

Beran told Valter that Daein is no longer his concern. His Majesty says that holding his positions in Jehanna is his primary concern. Not that Caellach is untrustworthy, it's just that the Laguz League is a greater threat than Daein. Valter told everyone in the camp, "I'm leaving. I can't leave poor Eirika lonely in Carcino. You're in command here for the duration of the conflict."

Beran, in a burst of anger, shouts, "Do you regard Begnion so lowly that Grado is not worthy of battling the Daein army? Do you regard the Begnion military as innately inferior to Grado in terms of quality? I, Sir Beran, served the Begnion Senate for twenty years. I know better than this!"

Like all Begnion Paladins, Beran wields two weapons. His primary weapon is the sword, and he also wields bows. Such "Paladins" in the Grado Army usually do not wield plate armor, unlike their Begnion counterparts. Valter has a few Rangers in his service, and they match the description Beran gives of Grado bow-wielding Paladins. Also, Grado cavalry bowmen never had the choice of their second weapon; their sword-wielding Mercenaries could use an Hero Crest, Master Seal or veterancy to undertake either an Heroicization or a Ranging and their secondary weapon, if they chose the latter, was the bow; Archers, with an Orion's Bolt instead of an Hero Crest, can either Snipe or Range. If they Ranged, then they could fight hand-to-hand. But Beran himself, with a few Halberdiers wielding Greatlances, positions himself at the docks so much as to block access to the sea. He awaits the visit of a special Grado guest that came by the docks.

Cormag makes his report. "I found General Duessel! And Lord Pelleas as well!"

Beran gives his orders. "We must capture General Duessel at all costs! Go out and capture him, if you can!"

Vika just shifts into a big crow in order to tease these Grado archers; her speed is sufficient to avoid the arrows of the enemy while flying above the walls of the port city. And she could report back to her allies under her humanoid form. What she saw in the narrow streets of the city was nowhere near what she knew of the Grado army, or what Pelleas knew of it, for that matter. Halberdiers? These Halberdiers wielding Greatlances? No doubt about it, Begnion definitely sent an army of its own to assist Grado.

Vika reports, "My Lord, I also report that their leader is a Bow-wielding Paladin with plate armor."

Pelleas warned Lord Duessel, "I'm afraid that Begnion is also here!"

Duessel asked, "Why would Vigarde make his country fight alongside Begnion?" He explained, "Ever since Vigarde blockaded Begnion commerce from and to Grado, with the aid of Phoenicis, I always believed Begnion to be an _enemy_ of Grado! Vigarde really has become mad. Vigarde treated laguz with care before the whole thing began!"

The Daein army has to change its tactics. As they knew it, the Grado army threw (unpromotable?) Soldiers on the first line and it was quickly overrun by their own promotable Soldiers and Archers. But Begnion knew better how to use Soldiers and Halberdiers; for them, they're best used to protect the flanks of more vulnerable units, such as magic-users and archers. Cavalry formed the first line and dismounted Knights were just behind cavalry, as they thought it was best to use the heavily armoured infantry as defensive meatshields.

But Begnion does not defend their strongholds like they battle on the open field. King Ike (when he still was a mercenary at the apostle's employ) raided Castle Tanas in search for laguz slaves. Castle Tanas would rather have a few knights on the _third_ line than on the first line. However, Beran never served under Senator Oliver, having served under Senator Hetzel instead. Basically, they station mages in sandwich between their own physical-damage-dealing men and another line of soldiers. Beran orders the gates to be wide open and thrust all the people from the Daein army in the city. An Halberdier reported to Undead Kasatai that enemy troops have entered the city.

Undead Kasatai suspected, "They're moving already? Such recklessness! Don't they suspect a trap? I can't believe they have fallen for it."

Beran says that Daein follows a general called Pelleas and, perhaps he follows no procedure. Perhaps he follows his instinct. Then, Undead Kasatai states that he doesn't know if he's brave or simply reckless. Simply unbelievable…

Beran gave his orders, "Close the gates and seal their escape route. This contest will be decided here. Even undead, you must continue to trust me without question."

However, on the top of the walls, Archers stand ready to shoot arrows at the Daein army. And to drop boiling oil. But, from the very moment anyone mentions dropping boiling oil on the Daein soldiers… Undead Kasatai ordered to drop the boiling oil on the army trapped in the city.

It was not even boiling oil; the liquid looked more like if the soldiers washed their armors and flags with that water and put soap in it. Therefore it was harmless to either side. The Swordmaster realizes something has gone awry with the "boiling" oil: it wasn't even boiling. He orders another cauldron of true boiling oil to be prepared.

Undead Kasatai admonished the soldiers responsible for the boiling oil, "I said boiling oil, not foaming oil!"

Pelleas targeted the General responsible for the boiling oil with his magic. Hit by the magic, the boiling oil exploded, bringing the Swordmaster and a section of the wall to be blasted away. This prompted the cavalry to fight not Pelleas' group but Duessel's. Because Beran has no reason to go after Pelleas in the first place.

* * *

At the same moment, in the outskirts of Serafew, Joshua, a red-haired Swordmaster meets a blond-haired Cleric near the anti-noise wall of the southern part of the town. He thinks of the Cleric as a beautiful woman, whom he must woo for romantic purposes.

Joshua turns to Natasha. He says, "Well, well, there is the Coinus Maximus in town. Perfect. I feel this is the way to go in order to earn some gold. Say, this is a Cleric? It is! And a gorgeous one at that."

Natasha runs past Joshua. "Something amiss, Sister? You look flustered", he continued. "Pardon me", Natasha replied.

Joshua continues, "No, pardon me! I never meant to startle you. May I offer my apologies…"

Natasha ends the conversation by saying, "It was my fault. I must get going."

But then, far away from Pelleas and his gang, Vigarde's new envoy and General Glen's younger brother comes to the then captain of the Serafew Border Guard with orders from Vigarde himself. These men are grouped in a park northeast of the _Coinus Maximus_, the arena of the town. It appears that

Kimaarsi begins his report to Saar, "Vigarde changed the command of the Serafew Border Guard. For the failure of averting a treason, you're simply demoted. At least, Vigarde's forgiveness was granted to you. I am the new commander of the Serafew Border Guard. Also, I bring new orders from His Majesty. Rumor has it that the Daein army is making its way to Grado. You are to find its commander and to place him/her in custody immediately."

Saar mechanically says, "Yes, sir!"

Kimaarsi continues, "One more thing: a traitor to the empire has fled Grado Keep. We have received reports that she is hiding here in Serafew. I don't care if we have to tear this town apart. Find the turncoat!"

Saar asks a vital question, "If she resists, do we have permission to execute her?"

Kimaarsi answered that such a permission is granted. The commotion begins when Natasha successfully gets past the anti-noise wall. A small number of men catch up to her on the road leading to the Za'ha Woods (and ironically, to the location of Calill's men) near a residential district outside the anti-noise wall. Two quaint houses lie near the spot where she was caught.

Saar ordered his beorc soldiers, "Don't let her escape! Catch her! She went that way!"

An Halberdier approached Natasha. "Traitor Natasha! Surrender peacefully. Come quietly, and you will have the chance to explain yourself in front of His Majesty." he shouted.

Natasha also shouted, "Wait, please. Listen to me!"

Saar ordered his men to take her away.

Natasha continued to shout, "No! You must believe me! The Emperor is not himself!"

Calill, in the distance, wondered, "That cleric is a traitor to the throne of Grado? What madness is this?"

Having barely escaped the grasp of Grado and the Begnion Senate, Natasha comes to the camp of the Daein army, not realizing that their allies would launch a raid on the town (and hopefully capture crucial prisoners along with the city). However, the Daein force is at risk of detection…

Calill turns to Natasha. She asked the cleric, "Are you all right?"

Natasha replied by another question, "Who are you?"

Calill answered that she was from Crimea. "Why are those Grado men after you?", she asked.

Natasha replied, "You're from Crimea? Oh! I must tell you something… it's about Grado!" Lute told her that the western gate is undermanned. This is the weak spot to exploit to capture the whole place… Then, Calill spouted the battle cry of the Daein army in Magvel, "FOR LAGUZ RIGHTS! FOR DAEIN!"

At the same moment, in the _Coinus Maximus_, Joshua gets out of the arena's contestants room. Two arena guards carry him out of the place, but only one of them demands explanations from him.

Joshua, despite his bad luck, said to himself, "So much for my dreams of making my fortune here…First the girl and now the gold… It really isn't my lucky day."

A Grado Soldier intercepted him. "You there! Mercenary! What are you doing in the arena? Get back to the staging area now!", he asked in an angry tone.

Joshua suggested, "Why don't we both hit the arena? It would be good training, if you're risking your life anyway, you may as well try to earn some gold."

A Begnion-issued Halberdier threatens Joshua, "I'm reporting you to the captain! You'll be lucky if he just docks your pay! Don't forget: you can be replaced at any time, you filthy sellsword!"

On the other side of the anti-noise wall, Colm and Neimi stray away from the main group and come knocking at the door of one of two houses near the wall. The house itself seems nondescript, but there is someone inside to open the door up. Here is what the person inside have to say to the Renais duet:

Colm, curious about the melodies emanating from the area, "I heard some galdrar by here! Who's there?"

Tethys began her speech, "Oh, hello. Did you come to see me dance? I'm sorry, but I just finished a few moments ago. Oh, by the way...Would you be interested in one of these items? A wealthy patron left me a sizeable chest of gifts after watching my performance. You can sell one for gold if you'd like or use them to improve your skills. I simply cannot carry all of this by myself, so please, take one. Wealth is useless if you can't use it to bring happiness to others, right? Thanks for dropping by. Perhaps we'll meet again someday."

She gives a Dragonshield to the duet. It's not an ordinary shield: used by the right people, it can make their defenses more resilient to physical damage. Once this magical item has been used, it vanishes.

Colm, puzzled, asked, "A Dragonshield? A chest filled with gifts, and that chest contains objects instead of gold? No doubt about it, only Tibarn would do that."

Tethys replied, "The Hawk King? I'm afraid he flew away to the northeast. We can talk about him later."

* * *

Pelleas' men got to the central plaza of Bethroen, at the crossroads of two paved roads that lead to bridges. The first bridge leads to the mainland and the second bridge, to the city hall, where Beran has fled. On the main platform in the middle of the plaza, he finds… a living laguz still in its humanoid form. "_Oh no, Vika_", he thought, as he sees the black wings of the laguz hanging out of the rope as the laguz is in position to be hanged. He rushes at the execution area, where Vika's body is.

Pelleas asked, "Vika? Grado got your tongue? I'm here to free you!"

A nervous Grado Archer fires an arrow at Vika but, in his nervosity, his aim gets bad and his arrow instead hits the rope above her. And so her body falls to the ground. At that very moment, she transformed into a crow again, so she could eat the eyes of the Archer out. And cut his bowstring. However, she wasn't supposed to be just hanged, but also to be subject to the shots of a "firing squad" of twenty-two archers.

Would Grado use that many archers to execute a bird-tribe laguz? Or is this the exclusive method of Begnion? That, no one knows, but the other twenty-one archers were called up elsewhere. Instead, Vika would strike down at a red-armored Halberdier armed with a Silver Greatlance, but, since the Greatlance is so heavy, he couldn't maneuver with it fast enough to even hit the crow. Said crow used its talons to scratch the helmet and pierce his eyes so he couldn't see anything.

Vika warned Lord Pelleas, "The commander is just ahead!"

Beran said, "The Obsidian Duessel… Lord Pelleas, General of Daein… Two incredible trophies. Who could ask for more?"

Pelleas realizes that Beran is no Izuka; he doesn't resist magic as much. He tells himself that's perfectly normal for Paladins with no magical training. As Pelleas corners him, he changes weapons. But the time he took to do so was enough for Pelleas to cast a Verrine spell (he wields the Verrine in part because he didn't feel so confident about Vika's magical ability). And Beran then used his sword to try to break the surrounding maneuvers Pelleas employed. Duessel, however, was on Beran's other side.

As Duessel was the main objective of the Grado and the Begnion men posted in this city, Beran brought most of his attention on duelling the Grado Obsidian (a.k.a. Duessel). He almost totally neglects the Druid from Daein; this proved to be a near fatal mistake when the second spell hits him... Franz uses this diversion to lance Beran in the back and kill him.

Beran, with his dying gasp, uttered, "Too strong…"

The remaining Begnion troops then flee using the remaining ships docked in the port, even if, in their minds, they think that General Valter is out for them. While they escaped, something eerie happened to Pelleas: he goes through a _second_ promotion process. The end result is extremely uncommon. From a second-tier Druid, he becomes a third-tier Archdruid, now even more powerful than before.

Instead of using Hero Crests, Ocean Seals, or other like-minded promotion objects, people who wish to promote from second-tier to third-tier have to use a Master Crown or to have twice the veterancy needed to get from a first-tier class to a second-tier class.

Pelleas demands, "Speak to me, Duessel. I want to put an end to this war. I'm sure you feel the same way."

Duessel emotionally answered, "As you know, the emperor was once a man of compassion. He loathed war, and he worked to build peace between the nations. Then… one day all changed."

Pelleas had other questions in store. "But why? Why did he change? What happened?", he asked.

Duessel told that he wished he knew. "But if you're looking for a likely cause, I have one. This all seems to have begun when Prince Lyon and the mages created a strange gemstone they referred to as the Dark Stone.", he continues.

A surprised Pelleas asks, "The Dark Stone?"

Duessel answers, "That's how the clerics and the Prince called it. I'm just a soldier. I don't know anything about magic, but they claim it is even more powerful than the Sacred Stones."

Vika finally said that she saw it all. However, she explains that the Dark Stone is still in the capital and its power can tarnish even the purest of souls with its corruption. "It's because of what I know about the Dark Stone that I am hounded by Grado", she concludes.

* * *

Brigands come to the anti-noise wall but they weren't enough to threaten the main group. Lute, Ross, Colm and Neimi, being the children, are left to defend the anti-noise wall. Also, as they are protected by an anti-noise wall, they do not even suspect anything. Not even that Tethys dances while singing the galdr of vigor so they can restore their energy. And that Natasha come to them.

The Brigand team leader motivated his men, "Come, lads! We'll steal our way through this pathetic town!"

At this very moment, the people behind the wall begin to attack. Lute, using her calculating brain and lightning-quick wits, fires her Fire spell at the brigand leader, who gets third-degree burns because of the spell. Ross finishes him off while Neimi shoots an arrow at the second Brigand. A well-placed arrow at that; it gave Colm enough time to steal a Vulnerary in a leather pouch. Natasha gets nearer to Joshua.

Natasha asks to Joshua, "You're that man I met… Are you here to capture me? You have been hired to silence me."

Joshua answers, "Grado is paying the bill. They want you dead… Don't feel bad, it's not personal."

Natasha pleads Joshua, "Wait! It doesn't matter what happens to me, but you must listen! The emperor of Grado has changed. He is not the man he once was. The other nations must be warned before he extinguishes all light from the land."

Joshua replies to these pleas that he may not care about Grado or its Emperor, for he is a mercenary. She may be right or she may lie, he doesn't care either way.

Natasha says, "But that's…"

Joshua asked a question to the Cleric, "Tell me, do you like to gamble?"

Natasha, furious, "What?"

Joshua then states that gambling is what he lives for. "I'll have a little wager with you. If you win, I believe you all the way.", he said.

Natasha shouts that she was Tails. Joshua continues, "I'm heads and you're tails. Here we go!"

Joshua tosses a coin and it falls on the tails. Therefore, Joshua joins the Daein army. Even so, he makes for the house just south of the western gate and opens the door.

The first man begins telling his story. "In my youth, I was a knight of some renown. I've even crossed the blade with one of Grado's finest generals. I'm an old man now… I began to worry… What if I die without passing on my techniques? I decided to write down what I have learned in a book. I have it here. You seem like a strong warrior. I'd be honoured if you take it.", he says.

By that time, though, the four children also entered a house of their own, past the central gate, lockpicked by Colm. Once they entered the house, the occupant tells them the following:

The second man makes a speech about life in Serafew since Grado began the war. "Life has been harder in Serafew since the occupation force took over here. Serafew's got Renais citizens as well as Grado, but it has been hardest on us. They've singled out families from Renais for the worst atrocities. Please, traveller, take this knife. It's a Kard. It'll cut through even the strongest armor. Take it and strike down that blackheart, Saar."

The battles of the day in the _Coinus Maximus_ led the remaining citizens of Serafew and even people from the villages beyond, both Renais and Grado, to take seats in the arena, while the U.N. contestants are still getting ready. However, the Grado contestants are nothing more but their own commanders. They seem to have made the duels "Might vs. Magic" types, because they pit magic-users versus heavily armoured units.

The announcer, a person with no combat role, announces that the first match of the day featured Artur Monk, a Monk, vs. Saar Blackheart, the sub-commander of the Serafew Border Guard.

Saar taunted Artur, "Death is too good for you!"

With Kimaarsi in the VIP open-area lounge, he watches Artur as he casted Light spells on Saar, who moves so slowly that he couldn't even dodge the cylinder of light. His foe threw a Javelin instead, but Saar didn't count on the Monk's ability to dodge, which was higher than that of another Knight.

The crowd itself, as a whole, favored Artur because they felt that, should the U.N.-issued contestants win, the whole region would be freed by the bad influence and oppression of Grado. With the cries of the crowd, he casted another spell, whose outcome blinded the Knight almost to death. Because Saar couldn't see anything, he cannot throw his Javelin and his foe's third spell killed him.

Saar, with his final words, uttered, "Glory… to… His Majesty."

The lifeless body is put into a coffin, with a Grado flag on top of it, and Artur got to be promoted to Bishop, with a special ability that gives him the edge against monsters. Kimaarsi itself got off the VIP open-area lounge, got his armor on and took his throwing Spear to bear, in front of a crowd that expected a victory of their home-raised prodigy. In the "away" contestants' room, Lute gets prepared for the big duel that decides of the fate of the town. She warmed her brain up beforehand… now it was time to warm her _body_ up.

The Halberdier who was the staff officer of Daein asks Lute, "You know of him?"

Lute answers that he was believed killed by the Greil Mercenaries but Senator Riev saved him. "He is simply no match for me. There is no one better than me, after all!", she continues.

It is time for Lute to actually kill the one who defended the room that Oliver somehow forgot when the Greil Mercenaries inspected Castle Tanas before Ike was dubbed into nobility. With her fabulous power, the time for her has come to use an Elfire spell. After all, she knew that her brains and agility would do better than the sheer strength of Kimaarsi. It is simple: her speed is enough to run circles around the General and when she is sure to be at the back, she fires her second spell. End result: she undertakes her promotion, but she isn't quite sure of what to pick.

For Tellius mages, this is pretty straightforward: you go as a Sage with staff ability. For Magvel mages, it's another issue: one has to choose between mobility on non-desert locales or mobility on desert locales (Mage Knights have a greater mobility on non-desert terrain but they are hampered by desert). And she prefers to travel light, as such, she chooses to remain afoot. Natasha goes up to the group in the contestants' room.

The Halberdier asks, "You're from Grado?"

Natasha answers, "Yes. My name is Natasha. I was a servant of the people at Grado's Imperial Temple."

A curious Calill asks, "Then why the trouble with the soldiers? Could you tell us your story?"

Natasha nods. "Of course. A few days past, my mentor was arrested without warning. They executed him. They said he was a traitor. But those were false accusations. The emperor killed him – a holy man – to keep him silent.", she tells to the people in the room.

Artur, in shock and awe, "Keep him silent?"

Natasha continues by saying, "My mentor said, with his final breath, that the emperor plans to destroy the Sacred Stones."

Lute asks her, "The Sacred Stones? Destroy them?"

Natasha thus ends her story, "As you know, the Sacred Stones drove back the power of evil long ago. There is one in my homeland, Grado, and one in Renais…" Lute adds that the Sacred Stone of Renais has been destroyed when the Grado Army raided the Royal Temple.

Tethys interrupts the non-seid magic-users. "A moment please. Are you, per chance, General Calill of Daein?", she asks. Calill answers that she is the person Tethys is looking for.

Tethys, on behalf of the Serafew citizens, says, "Thank goodness you're safe! I can't tell you how happy I am. And please accept my gratitude for driving off Kimaarsi and Saar. These men treated the laguz with much contempt and brutality…" Colm adds that Tibarn spent such happy times with Lyon when he last visited Grado. She makes the claim that Tibarn flew off to Hamill Canyon to assist the Phoenician army in its fight against Grado a few hours ago. Anyway, as Daein is an ally of the Laguz League, Phoenicis gives the Daein army a Master Crown!


	10. Caer Pelyn

CHAPTER 10 :

CAER PELYN

Prince Innes, with what's left of his close guard, fought the Carcino rebel army when the Laguz League army, led by Eirika, arrives at Teraz Plateau, a land of steppes. Muarim just shifted into a tiger when the battle begins. And… Phoenicis' delegate also joins the fray. To Muarim's surprise, he seems to wield a Steel Blade when pureblood laguz usually loathe using beorc-made weapons.

Muarim tells Lord Klimt, "I was assigned to protect you today. Pablo's troops are moving towards the stronghold. It looks they are chasing down Prince Innes and his men."

Klimt admonishes Pablo, "You reckless imbecile! If Prince Innes dies here, the bond with the U.N. is sundered forever! Carcino will be nothing more but a vassal paying tribute to Grado… We must find a way to aid Prince Innes."

Muarim joins a group of laguz that goes on to clash the main group of Carcino beorc mercenaries. He eats a Mercenary piecemeal, whereas the bulk of Pablo's forces are headed towards the stronghold that the Gerik Mercenaries hold. They use what's left of their boiling oil and there is a few mercenaries burnt by the oil's action. And then… more beorc. On the other side of the Plateau, Hawke plants his sword on a beorc head, effectively killing him.

Hawke asks where the beorc are. A large formation of beorc soldiers, cavalry first, came out of the dust created by the movements of the laguz soldiers to assist in the battle. They began to fight back the mercenaries and then there is a commotion among the enemy ranks: some of them begin to fall back even when they are nowhere near either group.

Eirika then wonders, "What's happening?"

Some of the laguz reverted and, as they revert, they go behind those who didn't. Anna herself transforms and she spits fire on the areas spilled by the once-boiling oil. The end result is that the land near the stronghold burns and the assailants get caught in a draconic fire. As for the beorc, though, they press on. Fiona, for instance, swings her axe from her horse and cuts down some Soldiers as the group approaches the crossing point between the two strongholds.

As for Haar, he locates the main enemy stronghold whose garrison is blocking the way to Caer Pelyn. Its path is blocked by the main gate, though. Anna rushes from a stronghold to the other and she burns the gate while she leaves the laguz to fight back the mercenaries' march.

Marisa, having strayed from the main group, got caught by Grado soldiers a few hours ago, but the area around the main stronghold having been secured, Prince Innes can then make a sortie. Gerik having secured his way to Marisa, he meets her on the course of the battle. As for the Crimson Flash herself, she receives contradictory messages from both sides: the first coming from her commanding officer from the Carcino rebels and the second from the Laguz League.

A General taunts her, "Marisa! You're getting paid more than my own men! Time you earned your gold!"

Gerik asks from behind, "Is that you, Marisa?" She turns to the Mercenary and answers, "Chief."

Gerik tells her that he was alone with His Highness to defend the stronghold in the south. Looks like the guild bungled. Thank heavens the Laguz League showed up. The mercenary guild is usually diligent on avoiding that kind of things to happen. But here they are, two people from the same troop fighting on opposite sides.

Marisa sermons Gerik about these Carcino rebels, "They were nothing but jerks! They paid me to kill innocent laguz!"

Gerik replies to her that as a mercenary, her loyalty should go to the ones who pay her. They can cross blades if she wants it to happen, but he'd rather want Marisa to retreat.

Marisa, exasperated, "Done and done!"

And Marisa, instead of hounding the League's army, fights alongside laguz. As Tormod uses his magic to blast the stronghold's door, it opened to reveal a small arena, to which everyone that still fights on the Carcino side retreats. For their commander just had a fantastic idea: to recoup his losses, he would rather organize a few tag team matches with beorc or laguz pit one against another. Of course, Carcino rebels are not made to fight each other, but rather, Laguz League soldiers versus their own men. Fiona just thrust her spear into a Myrmidon while Eirika goes out to fight a Fighter.

Eirika makes her speech. "If we were to die anyway, at least try and fight to gain some gold. We need it to rebuild our countries."

A few volunteers, listed as a cat laguz, a Warrior and a Mage are the first to be picked for the Laguz League to fight, in the arena, the General who previously admonished Marisa, a Shaman and, to replace a laguz – for the Carcino Rebels have no laguz, having sworn allegiance to Grado in exchange for the expulsion of all laguz from its forces – Lord Pablo instead brings a Hero to fight.

At that moment, the Arena announcer gives the starting signal. "Ready… fight!"

The match begins and the Shaman begins to cast his spell at the laguz, but the laguz avoided the spell, for he already bounced off to scratch the Hero deep enough to hit his organs. The Warrior's plan is to distract the General and let the Mage cast spells at him for the kill. Blood stains appeared on the sand because the Hero bleeds and gets killed by a rampaging cat laguz, a.k.a. the Cat in the arena. At this very moment, he reverts to his humanoid form, leaving him to be the target of his enemies. The General, as sluggish as he is, is slain, leaving the Shaman. His physical vulnerability is his undoing. However, the winning group does not return unscathed.

This series of arena fights continues until the final battle begins, a five-on-five tag team match, where Lord Pablo himself offers to fight the group, deeming the other groups within his men as incompetent. Prince Innes leads the final group for the Laguz League, along with Gerik, Marisa, Muarim and Eirika. Lord Pablo relies on a Sage, a Paladin, a Pirate and a Rogue.

In the final arena battle, someone other than Pablo arbiters the fight. Lord Klimt himself has set himself up to the main balcony from where the announcer stands. Everyone is positioning at the time where Klimt himself orders the fight to commence. Klimt takes the place of the announcer, "Ready… fight!"

Pablo taunts the group, "I made the rational decision. The only decision."

Eirika runs towards the Paladin and slashes a horse's leg, making the horse go mad and throw its rider off balance and fight afoot. That Paladin fights quite badly afoot, being trained much more on horseback. Muarim fights and chases the Rogue, mostly because he hates laguz. Even more so than the Sage, who receives an arrow shot from Price Innes' bow while casting a spell directed at Marisa. As for that girl, she runs behind the anima magic-user and she rolls behind to cut through his cape and, hopefully, make him lose his balance.

Gerik, however, is busy engaging the horse-less Paladin with his own sword. He parries a few swings, while Muarim is done with the Rogue and his bloody corpse lay on the ground. Having barely escaped a spell casted by the Sage, Marisa still tries to get under him and swing her sword at his foe's intimate parts and the final result is that her face is covered in blood.

While her role in this battle has shifted from fighting the Paladin to fighting the Pirate, she realizes that her sword skill makes short work of the Pirate and he dies. Lord Pablo, as a Bishop, fires an Ellight spell at Innes when he shoots an arrow. Instead of that, Muarim shoves him out, making his shot miss, but, at the same time, the magic missed his target. The Sniper prince of Frelia fires another arrow and it hit Lord Pablo in his heel. Muarim then plants his teeth into the elder's body and it was over in an instant. But there were injured people: Marisa had a broken ankle, Gerik broke his leg and Eirika had a deep cut in her sword arm. Klimt announces that the winners are the from Laguz League!

The Laguz League thus recaptured Teraz Plateau and the leader of the rebellion was killed. However, the time for the festivities didn't come yet. Something brings a heavy burden on Glen, as both him and Valter get to meet in Caer Pelyn proper. Glen himself was assigned to kill Princess Eirika and Valter, to kill Tibarn. Because Ephraim is believed dead (to Grado's eyes) when he undertook his raid on Renvall. The same Renvall that is the objective of the second group of the Daein army Pelleas dispatched to Western Renais. But what happened in Renvall is not the reason why Valter had to see Glen.

Glen tells Cormag, "There's the rub. That's it exactly. His Majesty has never spoken a falsehood in all the time I've served him. And as a servant of the empire, I am duty bound to obey his orders. But I can see no reason to think Princess Eirika's heart is in any way less gentle now."

Valter, in the distance, says, "What are these cowardly mutterings? It is because of you three generals are weak that we, the others, must work so hard. And yet you get the honor of killing the girl!"

Glen approaches Valter. He throws insults at his rival, "You wretch! You were cast out of the army because you mistreated civilians!" Valter replies to these insults that even Vigarde didn't pardon or reinstate him; it was under the Begnion Senate's orders that he was reinstated as a general.

The Laguz League's forces under Eirika's command commence their ascent towards Caer Pelyn, located in a treacherous mountain range. They do so because they wish to avoid the extremist faction's army, for which Elincia's group remain in Carcino to fight. As they learned that Caer Pelyn is the frontline base of General Glen, Eirika's group continues its march with more caution.

Cavalry and armored knights usually don't fare very well in mountain terrain, and, as such, this is why these people were left in Carcino. The people who remained with Eirika pass through a variety of terrains: rocky terrain, forests whose trees become smaller as altitude mounts, etc. Two days later and they become tired, but they finally arrived at the fabled base, Caer Pelyn, without being seen by Grado patrols.

Saleh states that even if Caer Pelyn denizens have little interest in the outside world, they don't refuse travellers. "The road isn't easy, and you look very weary", he says.

Ewan claims, "These people say that they want to go through Caer Pelyn". He turns to Saleh, "I could guide them myself, but I thought it would be better if you came, too".

Saleh responds that it's only because of his duty as Speaker of the U.N. General Assembly that he accepts this. Not because he's Ewan's magic teacher. As they approach the village, General Glen flies up to Eirika from his frontline base. According to him, Eirika has a lot to account for, especially concerning Port Kiris. He is escorted by two Wyvern Riders.

Glen turns to Princess Eirika of Renais. "Hold", he said.

Eirika, perplexed, "Who? You are General Glen of Grado. We met once in the capital. You were very kind to me. However, if you're here now, it means that…"

Glen answers, "Yes, it does. However, I wished it could have happened under different circumstances. Eirika, I must tell you that I am here on the direct orders of the Emperor. I'm to bring justice on the rebel army leader that terrorizes Carcino. It's you, Eirika. They say you massacred innocents."

Eirika asks him, "What do you mean?"

Glen begins his speech. "If you have something to say, I would hear it. I know all too well that Grado has robbed you of your homeland, but even so... I do not believe revenge could drive a woman like you to such depths. And yet... here you are in Carcino with a small army under your command. And the emperor tells us that you massacred everyone in Port Kiris.", he says.

Innes shows up and turns to General Glen. He left his arrows under the care of Saleh back at the Laguz League's camp. He finds this situation to be ridiculous. "Believe what you want", he says. "Could one of the legendary Imperial Three be as stupid as this?" Glen turns to Innes. "What do you mean?", he asks. Innes replies that Carcino has betrayed Frelia and set a pack of mercenary dogs to kill him. "And you paint Eirika as a rebel instigator? It's an absurd farce.", he grudgingly says.

Eirika continues, "We told you what we know to be true, what we have seen firsthand. We don't want to fight you, but if you push us, House Grado will have your body in a coffin!"

Glen, surprised, "...I see. You...are more observant then you know. I am ignorant of the emperor's designs. General Duessel and I both questioned the wisdom of this war. And if you really are innocent of the crimes attributed to you... Why would His Majesty lie to us? I must know the answer. I will learn the truth of it."

Valter himself shows up at that exact instant; he flies up to Glen and a grand vocal joust begins, when Eirika and Innes get away from them to avoid potential outcomes, such as a duel (first-blood or to the death does not matter at this stage).

Glen turns to Valter. "Do as you will. I'm returning to the capital. I have questions for the emperor.", he states. Valter says that they were a grand trio of generals: Glen, Duessel and himself. But his place among them was stolen and he was exiled from Grado.

Glen continues, "You slaughtered people who had no intention of fighting. The Emperor's punishment was just and warranted."

Valter tells him, "After my fall from glory, only desire kept me alive. Desire for revenge. My hatred burnt so fierce that anything can make me go mad."

Glen admonishes Valter, "You vile Begnion cur! You're mad!"

Valter warns Glen, "En garde, General Glen!"

Glen and Valter got on their wyverns, rise above the terrain, steering clear of any Grado soldier or monster. Or Laguz League-held houses. It is difficult, taking in account that Tibarn's men also scour the area in search of monsters or Grado troops. Even more difficult because the terrain is quite harsh and made of high mountains.

Valter begins soaring above Glen when he avoids this maneuver. He throws his Spear and misses the Wyvern but he catches it. However, that time he lost was just enough for Valter to throw a Spear at his enemy. By a stroke of luck, Glen gets killed by the other Wyvern Lord (since all Wyvern Knights/Masters, no matter their origins, promote to third-tier Wyvern Lords).

Valter gives his orders to the corpse, "Go. The small fish are yours."

But a messenger arrives at Valter, demanding explanations about the corpse laying there; the remains of the person who once was General Glen. And also to bring orders to General Valter himself.

The Wyvern rider announces, "General Valter! I bring orders from His Majesty himself. The Emperor wishes to begin the siege of Jehanna Hall, purported to be defended by an entire army of sub-humans! To this end, you are to be deployed at Jehanna Hall."

Valter belittles his teammate, "Caellach is too weak to capture Jehanna Hall on his own! The sub-humans entrenched here are led by the Queen of the White Dunes herself!"

The Wyvern rider asks, "And that corpse here? Who killed General Glen?"

Valter says that Princess Eirika did it.

There is still an untainted corner of Caer Pelyn that is home to a community of hermits. A mountain path leads to the base camp, while another mountain path leads to Jehanna Hall via the Hamill Canyon, held by the Phoenicisian army. Eirika's close guard is running down the mountain path leading to the inner sanctum of the area. The princess herself is going slower than everyone else.

Muarim warns Eirika, "Perhaps we should rest, milady." He turns to Saleh, "Master Saleh, is it much further?"

Saleh answers, "Only two hours further."

Haar: I would ask for a moment of rest before continuing. We are all exhausted. We cannot go any further today.

Innes: Do you people truly live in this place? These barren crags seem unfit for habitation.

Caer Pelyn itself is not just a village, but also an area of Carcino with an Elder of its own. The capital of the area is the only location within the Caer Pelyn region not visited by the Grado Army. Also, due to its remoteness, scarcity of population and lack of accessibility, the whole region is said to be of no importance by the Carcino Rebels. Eirika appears to be hopping up and down the road. Saleh says that material wealth brings strife. "We have no need of these things. We live in peace with the Great Dragon.", he concludes. After a good night's rest in a makeshift camp, the group continues its ascent towards the regional capital. The capital itself is under siege by… monsters!

Eirika orders her men, "To arms!"

Muarim states his battle cry, "FOR LAGUZ RIGHTS!"

The monsters target both the beorc and laguz inhabitants of the town. A Tarvos rushes at Eirika and swings its axe, but to no avail. They also form up and one of the larger undead just morphed into an undead version of a wolf when he attacks Innes up front.

Innes insults the undead wolf laguz, "You undead werewolf scum!"

His silver-tipped arrow out (because arrows are just as important as the bow itself when it comes to the potency of archery), he shoots an arrow at the "werewolf", who is really an undead wolf laguz. And the wolf laguz took as much damage as a flightless beorc would take; he finds out that there was a long-lasting misconception about silver weapons inflicting more damage to "werewolves" than other laguz, provided that they aren't wielding weapons covered with anti-laguz poison. And also that "werewolves" are a derogatory term used by beorc to designate wolf laguz in particular. Muarim targets the undead beorc soldiers, and, as soon as he has an opening, he uses his jaws to bite into the rotten flesh and the claws make it nothing more but a corpse whose parts are badly cut.

Finally, some magic fireballs appear out of a house. It means an anima magic-user is entrenched in the house; those fireballs severely injure monsters, such as Mogalls and undead beorc. And the person who casts the spells realizes that Maunthe Doogs and the one-headed Gwyllgis are nothing more than undead wolf laguz. However, the three-headed Gwyllgis are another species altogether. Eirika runs up to the badly burnt, three-headed Gwyllgi, and she stabs the monster in its back, but, from the hole, blood is spilling out, poisoning the other monsters in range along with Eirika herself.

Eirika warns Innes, "Highness, I must retreat; I have been poisoned by a monster!"

Tormod burns the monster that plagues the entrance to the door of the mage who killed four monsters, using his magic. Saleh then opens the door of that house.

Saleh warns Ewan, "This town is under siege! It's too dangerous!"

Ewan pleads to Saleh, "Let me go with you!"

Saleh answers, "You have always been quite adamant; I have no choice but to accept."

The battle rages on until Muarim's unit reached the city hall. At this moment, the monster leader, a Maelduin, advances toward Saleh to challenge the leader of the defenders of the town. However, Marisa already is on the ceiling of the city hall and drops her sword right on the head of the monster. That gesture did not prevent the monster to fight; Gerik makes another move: he fights the enemy axe while Eirika "rides" the monster and thrust a sword in its back, making it bleed even more. The end result is that the city is freed.

Freed? Not exactly. A Warrior appears from below stairs and surprises the band of Laguz Alliance soldiers in the middle. By that time, though, Marisa returns to her position in the ceiling, her sword ready again. This time, instead of being thrust inside the head, it just hit the head, making the enemy trip. Gerik is left to engage the Warrior. Luckily, he wielded a Bow, that he fired at Eirika, but unsuccessfully. This left Gerik to cut the string of the bow and to engage him one-on-one. The end result is that he is almost killed.

Binks says that 5,000 gold isn't enough… "Why was I hired to capture Caer Pelyn?", he asks.

Gerik throws insults at him. "You never liked laguz… the shame you mistreat them!"

And then Gerik kills the Warrior. The bloodied corpse lies on the ground, with the bodies of every dead monster lying everywhere in the town. People still alive carry the corpses of the monsters to a central place where it is safe to burn the cadavers.

* * *

Bethroen. The Daein army is resting for a few days before moving on to Taizel, the last major obstacle between them and the capital. Two raven laguz reverts to their humanoid forms. They approach Vika…

The first raven exclaims, "Vika! We found you at last!" As the second raven approaches Vika, he tells her, "However, we are all that Kilvas can spare for that mission to Western Grado. The bulk of our forces are busy engaging the Grado Central Army in Jehanna."

Vika asks both laguz, "What now?"

The first raven begins to run the report, "The reports we get from Grado before the war began states that you have increased in magical skill much beyond almost any other raven laguz." The second raven continues, "You, as the new Arch-Druid of Kilvas, are to lead us to victory. We will make sure that laguz-manned magic can kill these Grado curs!"

Vika asks both crows, "What are your names?" Diadora's answer is: "I'm Diadora, one of a few Bishops based in Kilvas. I take care of the wounded back in Kilvas but I also used light magic to guide lost laguz at night." Radmin's answer is: "I'm Radmin, a Wind Sage who, like Vika, lost the race to become the official mage of House Kilvas."

Pelleas asks the two newcomer laguz magic users, "Diadora, Radmin, Kilvas sent you to search for Vika?"

Radmin answers, "Yes, milord."


	11. Time of Action

I was busy from work, therefore I couldn't do much for Chapter 11. (It has nothing to do with the bankruptcy of the Daein Express Mail Service, led by Haar)

CHAPTER 11 :

TIME OF ACTION

Once the Laguz League's army left Caer Pelyn, they cross into Hamill Canyon, where the Phoenicisian army, with Tibarn at its head, won a great victory over a Grado army commanded by Aias a few days ago. Eirika and Innes planned to rescue Queen Ismaire's forces, still fighting the might of both the Begnion Senate and Grado. Ismaire herself hoped that Crimea or Daein would come to Jehanna's rescue but Crimea instead elected to defend Carcino, fearing that the bandit-based army of Renais would attack the villages of southern Carcino. And Ike, as King of Daein, didn't want to be held responsible for the awakening of both halves of the goddess creator of the world, even if the true author of such a thing would not have anything to do with Daein.

As they cross the canyon, Janaff approaches them. With his extraordinary vision, he can spot that the core of what's left of the Begnion army in Magvel is stationed in Neleras Peak and its commander is Senator Riev.

Eirika asks, "What should we do now, help the Laguz League fight the Grado army or fight Begnion on Neleras Peak? If we split in two groups, we cannot accomplish either task."

Innes answers, "If we can somehow force Riev to move out to the banks of the Narube River... How to make believe that we are a weak group to the eyes of our enemies? No, that won't work. Riev wouldn't fall for such a trap."

Muarim also pitches in. "Or that the armies led by Caellach and Valter need help… To this end, we need to go to Jehanna Hall; the enemies will spot us and we have to fight their reinforcements. Narube River stands at the crossroads for both Rausten (via Neleras Peak) and Jehanna Hall straightaway from there.", he says.

They don't know that a Bishop has been excommunicated and the Begnion army gives chase to the group of the traitor. For the traitor is an officer with a command position, though nowhere as high as that of Senator Riev. His group has been trudging through the forests between Neleras Peak and Jehanna Hall for weeks, but at the Narube River confluent, they are unsure of what to do. Perhaps their salvation will come under the form of a Laguz League army… or they march right into their doom.

Sudler begins the conversation, "I think we have nowhere else to go: if we returned to Neleras Peak, Riev will have our heads, if we go to Jehanna Hall, the Laguz League will suspect we are enemies."

Bilodeau also has something to say. "I'm most certain that the Laguz League will allow us betrayers of Begnion to fight alongside them, if we betrayed Begnion because we refused to hunt down innocent laguz. The goddess gave birth to beorc and laguz and must be treated as judicial equals. The best bet, for us, is to hold that castle nearby.", she says.

The Halberdier asks Bilodeau, "My lady, what standard would be most appropriate?"

Bilodeau answers that the thing is not to change the Jehanna flag that floats at the top of the keep. Their plan is to let the Laguz League approach the place; if they answer our Friend or Foe call as friends, then let them help us to defend this area. Sudler recalled Bilodeau that she is his wife; the couple pledged loyalty to the Apostle, not the Senate. As they saw the Apostle quarrel with the Senate on issues like laguz emancipation, they saw both sides of the thing and they sided with the Apostle because the Senate is wracked by prejudice and hatred.

After many weeks, a brown-armored messenger finally finds said Apostle in the frozen confines of Tor Garen, the first Daein-held fortress that General Ike captured when he was made a lord. The first engagement of then-Princess Elincia's group as the official army of Crimea. But he came in peace…

The Messenger asks Her Majesty, "Why did You suddenly decide to flee Begnion?" Sanaki answers that the Begnion Senate has condemned me to exile in a move to take over the control of the country. Also, Sephiran is imprisoned.

In shock and awe, he asks, "Sephiran? Why was he imprisoned?"

The messenger gives to the apostle the letter that King Ike told him to give once he found the "target", the apostle. When she is done reading the letter, she recalls the messenger to her room.

Sanaki gives her instructions. "Until I'm done, do not let anyone enter this room. Also, when I'm done, please bring this to your king. Tell Ike that the Senate is a group of corrupt people that enslaves laguz even if it's illegal to do so. And that the Senate plots to exterminate the laguz; to this end, it tricked Grado into signing a blood pact. Vigarde signed it believing it was a free trade agreement with Begnion. The ultimate plot of the Begnion Senate is to control both Magvel and Tellius."

The Messenger tells the apostle, "Then, write that information down! I'll send Sigrun to you."

At the same time, Nevassa receives important visitors: the queen of Hatari, Nailah, with her bodyguard, Volug. They are brought in a cold throne room by two Generals who didn't quite mind the cold. Gatrie stays back and thinks, "She is a beauty among laguz females, but she is so tawdry…"

Gatrie announces to Ike, "Your Majesty, Queen Hatari and her escort has arrived!"

Nailah and Volug both bow lower than Ike when he steps from his throne to meet with them, not knowing that Nailah herself has something to show to Ike. Some documents concerning an alliance project between Hatari and Daein.

Ike asks Nailah, "What brought you to Daein? Surely Hatari regards Daein better now than…"

Nailah interrupts Ike, "Is it you that my subjects claim is the one who killed Ashnard? After the death of Ashnard, we heard that both Crimea and Daein set out to achieve fully integrated societies in beorc-laguz relationships. To encourage the projects of both countries, we in Hatari believe that Daein should ally with us. But yes, we regard Daein better than when Ashnard still lived."

Ike continues, "Yes, I'm the one who killed Ashnard in single combat. For him, they were nothing more than instruments of power."

Nailah says that it's time for everyone to atone the crimes their ancestors committed; she's certain both the dark god and Ashera wanted beorc and laguz to live in harmony.

* * *

Adlas Plains. Heavy fog dampens the march of Daein in the hinterlands. They left the control of Serafew to the prisoners Grado kept before its capture. Also, a Druid seems to plan something in the depths, with Tirado (an Armor Marshall) guiding him to accomplish his plan.

Tirado asks Novala, "Have you ascertained the whereabouts of the Daeins?"

Novala answers that he has done so. "Some of our scouts report that the Daein army will be coming this way shortly.", he reports. "Our ambush is ready and waiting. There is no way they can escape."

Tirado heard its commander defeated Selena in single combat. "Tell me, Novala, are you certain you can handle this assignment?", he says, with a feeling of insecurity.

Novala says, "Don't worry. I have brought a certain something from Renais. It will negate whatever resistance they offer."

Then, Tirado leaves for the capital. As Tirado walks away, he has a second thought and stays hidden in the woods as he watches Eirika's group to be devoured by the enemy. And perhaps to fight if Novala proves to be too weak, as they are what's left of Renvall's garrison, after the last riot in the cellars caused the slaughter of many guards.

Novala admonishes Calill. "Ha ha ha! General Calill of Daein! Accept your fate. You have nowhere to flee!"

Calill, surprised, asks him, "What? Who are you?"

Novala gives his offer, along with its condition. "If you surrender, we will free all the prisoners in Renvall."

Calill refuses. "I will do no such thing!", she screams.

Novala speaks at this very moment. He curses Calill, "You came all the way to save Prince Ephraim? Daein fools. As we speak, he is wasting away in a prison cell in Renvall."

Calill, in disbelief, asks the Archruid, "Grado defeated Ephraim?"

Novala orders his men to bring him the child. The child, a laguz cub, calls for assistance, "Help! Help me!"

Novala tells the group that it's a precious sub-human baby. "Now give me your weapons!", he orders.

Moulder advises Calill, "Surrendering our weapons is tantamount to suicide. Grado demands too much of us."

Novala, in turn, curses the laguz cub, "My hostage has no use for me! Such a waste."

He brings the hostage to a position where a giant spider would easily eat the family of untransformed laguz. Unless they can shift to its animal form before the Bael (elder or not) gets into eating position… Vanessa asks everyone in the camp if anyone else want to hunt down a giant spider. Moulder, Vanessa, Joshua, Vanessa and Ross go for the laguz family along with a few other soldiers while the main group engage the guards of Renvall, mainly Murray's Brigade but since Murray died in the last riot, Tirado took over the command. Before they go engage the spider, they get into a farm for information about the spider:

Moulder begins talking to the occupant of the house, "UNICEF reporting. We have received reports that giant spiders lurk the area…"

A young beorc boy answers, "I stocked up on antidotes. This is strong stuff. Even if they eat you, they cannot poison you! Take it or face the consequences!"

Moulder takes the antidote straightaway. The five rush for the Bael, Vanessa overflying the area in search for the Bael. At the same time, the main group faces the cavalry charge of Grado. Knights and cavalry on the first line, with also a few Halberdiers, and magic-using units are behind them. Such as Artur and Lute. They are almost shoulder-to-shoulder because Lute has some habit of "monk-watching" (or "bishop-watching" as it should now be called). Light magic blinds the vision of cavalry units; Cavaliers with weak Resistance fall on the back of their horses or even from their mounts. Neimi fires an arrow whose direct hit kills a Cavalier.

Novala orders his men to go for the Bishop. What's left of the enemy cavalry unsuccessfully try to surround the Bishop, as anyone could kill cavalry units, such as Lute with her Elfire spells or the Bishop himself, with his magic. And one amongst the enemy tries to wield a simple Fire spell, even if he was trained as a Paladin in the first place. The end result is his armor is badly scorched. Ross thrust his axe at the Paladin and he gets to choose between a Pirate and a Fighter. He chooses to become a Fighter, because he claims it is a family attribute. (It means there are _four_ possible tiers for Journeymen, Pupils or raw Recruits).

Lute: This idiotic Paladin got himself to the brink of death because he played with fire. Apparently he thought he could use anima tomes. Son of a Grado bitch! It takes a superior intellect to master the secrets of magic!

By four tiers he meant that Journeymen could eventually become one of the standard _first-tier_ units, such as Fighter or Pirate, then promote to a second-tier unit, like a Berserker (for pirates/bandits, they undergo the Berserkergang), a Warrior or a Hero. Very few Heroes have ever lived to see themselves go to third-tier Vanguards, though Warriors or Berserkers could both become third-tier Reavers.

The Halberdier sees the horror of his life: Murray himself reappears. He was thought dead in the last riot within Renvall's cellars. As the Halberdier sees his rotten body, he alerts Neimi.

Murray: I died defending Renvall from the prisoners, though I now walk the earth again to see these Daein-supported prisoners fall!

Grado scout: Daein never had anything to do with those imprisoned in Renvall in the first place! They may have captured Serafew but we must stop their advance here!

Murray: We're under attack! Rouse yourselves! The marquis of Renvall, Lord Tirado, has charged us with defending the castle! Show them the might of Murray's Brigade! Don't let anyone near the castle!

Neimi has a shot at the scout reporting the moves of the Daein troops, a lowly Troubadour. So fragile those Troubadours are that its body has been pierced and it bleeds. However, the search for the Bael leads to a dead track; Vanessa herself throws a Javelin to an undead monster, killing it. As for the laguz family, the "alpha male" of the family transforms into a wolf, applying its fang at one of the Bael's eight legs, crushing it and making it lose balance. With this vulnerability, Vanessa hits another leg of the monster, bleeding its poisonous blood everywhere. However, Joshua goes out to target the fangs of the monster, making it harder to eat people, either beorc or laguz because he successfully cut the fangs. As for the undead Murray, Lute casts Elfire on it; Neimi targets his badly scorched corpse and its body lay inanimate on the ground after a well-placed arrow made its work. And Colm leads the way to Novala; Neimi shoots an arrow in the fog just to make sure there is no ambush before them. The arrow hit an enemy Archer, who leaps forward before a Daein Sword Knight cuts him to shreds. At that moment, the Sword Knight undertakes his Paladinization. His calling, as his second weapon choice, is the axe.

An enemy Halberdier advances towards Eirika, whose attack speed is greater than that of her foe. The Halberdier could just land a single blow at her that his body has many cuts. But Eirika must retreat to Moulder, who uses his Heal staff to heal the injuries and also the Restore, because she has been poisoned. Using these two staves repeatedly on several people make him undertake his Sacerdoce. He feels like he is blessed by the Holy Light.

The laguz cub then cries, "I was scared! So very scared! You saved us!"

Novala, though, lies just ahead of them. As an Archdruid, people should take precaution about his ability to use dark magic.

Calill calls certain people. "Artur, Lute, Neimi, Colm, you're with me to fight the enemy commander.", she says.

Lute knows that she is in for big trouble, because her Anima magic puts her at a disadvantage. Her enemy casts a Verrine spell, who gives trouble for everyone to dodge, less so for Colm and Neimi than the other three. Even shooting an arrow at him doesn't make the enemy Archdruid unable to fight. Ross goes after his guards, such as the Soldier who is responsible for camp watch among the enemies. All three magic users cast their spells; Elfire for Lute, Arcthunder for Calill and Ellight for Artur (his intial spell, Light, was not powerful enough to pierce his magical resistance), but the enemy Archsage still lives. Because the damage inflicted on him by the Daein-commanded magic users is not enough to kill him.

As for the one who describes Neimi as a "klutz", Colm, he rushed at his back, a Steel Dagger at hand, and the enemy archdruid is nothing more than a corpse. Calill undertakes a process known as an Ascension. The very process under which Vika and Pelleas became Archdruids.

Garcia exclaims, "It's hammer time!"

A Hammer at hand, he goes out to strike at Tirado. As a third-tier Lance Marshal, he is at a double disadvantage because of Garcia's skill with a Hammer. Neimi distracts him by shooting an arrow, but to no avail, because her arrow lacks the penetration necessary to hurt him. The hammer swing throws his helmet off, leaving a narrow opening for Neimi to shoot a second arrow. This successful hit makes him feel dizzy and, at the same time, Neimi begins her Sniping. Ross put all his strength into one blow and it makes the enemy head drop from the body.

* * *

Near the banks of the Narube river, Sudler's men see the Laguz League's army approach the stronghold his men defend. The fears of people in this area are assuaged by the lack of Begnion troops in the sector.

Sudler speaks to his wife. "Your assumptions were correct. The Laguz League is our ally." He orders his men to open the gate.

In Jehanna Hall, the chief beorc general of Jehanna leads the palace watch but his men report nothing. He uses the infected, poisoned heads of dead laguz to feed in his catapult, in order to make the enemy sick and poisoned. His shot misses Caellach by a couple of inches.

Carlyle speaks to Her Majesty, "There is no trace of the Crimean army. How long do you think we can hold off Grado?"

Ismaire tells Carlyle, "Crimea has abandoned us! Unless Crimea sends enough reinforcements to allow us to crush both Caellach and Valter (perhaps Riev as well) we cannot hold off the enemy more than a few days."

Laguz begin to charge at the enemy positions, held out by Grado beorc. One cut the string of the bow belonging to an enemy archer in his leaps. The archer couldn't fire anti-laguz arrows and retreats to his base camp in search for a new bowstring. Basic Soldiers withstood with difficulty the relentless assault led by the laguz. Two mages, one laguz and the other one being a beorc, cast their spells to make a devastating effect on the beorc enemy, not knowing that undead laguz lurk in the horizon. The laguz mage casts an Elwind spell and the beorc mage casts Elfire in the middle of the wind cylinder, carrying burning sand directed at the enemy forces.

The Archer feels the pain as his skin burns, "Ouch! That burns!"

The very archer retreating for a spare bowstring is charred by the anima magic of its enemies, along with other beorc and one-headed Gwyllgis. Also, there are two mages that stand guard near the room where Audhulma, one of the Sacred Twins of Jehanna, is kept. The first of these beorc mages begin by casting Fimbulvetr on a massed formation of enemy soldiers. Icicles fall on the Grado formations and, to make the sand below the enemy feet look like quicksands, the other mage cast an Arcfire spell. As a result, flightless Grado soldiers sink into the terrain.

As for the laguz, they drop a bucket full of boiling oil, not realizing that the shimmering desert heat makes the oil go on fire. The oil-powered fire makes its way through Caellach's ranks, even hurting Caellach himself as the Grado general kills two raven laguz with a few beak scratches. The other laguz, in which Kyza is to be found, come back to report something ominous to Ismaire herself.

Kyza tells his suzerain, "I'm afraid I'm no match for Caellach! Even ten of us laguz could only dent Caellach!"

Ismaire speaks to Kyza, "There is only a handful of people I know that can stand a chance against either Caellach or Valter. Perhaps with the aid of a few laguz and if I wielded Excalibur (the Ice Sword)… I can engage him in combat myself. Perhaps King Daein would tackle him alone, but I can't. Even Elincia would be defeated in single combat vs. Valter… maybe Tibarn can kill him."

Kyza states that Ashnard could take both of these men on at once and emerge victorious but Ike? "He could defeat Caellach but would Ragnell hit Valter when he is airborne?", he says.

Ismaire soon realizes that is beside the point. Also, Grado men retreat to their camps at night, for night combat is more impracticable in desert terrain than on the loamy soils of Grado. It also apply to laguz, for bird tribes are visually impaired by night combat.

The next day, here is what happens when a person who is perpetually hungry is recruited into Jehanna's palace guard. That person is described as wearing a light purple, almost white, cape along with similarly colored robes. She approaches the southern gate by the top, as though she has been assigned to defend the cakewalk above it. Having eaten nothing but dried bread and rotting fish for days… Ilyana complains that she's hungry! That doesn't prevent her from casting spells, like that Arcthunder, and bring down a Wyvern Master, whose corpse crashes like thunder on a formation of Grado soldiers about to be in quicksands.

Ilyana asks Kyza, "How can I serve on an empty stomach people that eat something?"

Kyza tells her, "Back at camp, if we both survive, and the wyvern corpses aren't too decomposed, we can eat wyvern meat!"

She realizes that casting Arcthunder on a wyvern affects many things inside a wyvern's body but the parts most affected are inedible for either beorc or laguz. It boils the blood out if it hits directly on the wet parts. Kyza hears a strange noise and smell something foul, for something treacherous has happened.

Kyza warns her, "This is wyvern fart!"

Ilyana exposes her plan. "Here's the plan: if only someone capable of casting fire spells could fire right at the cloud of wyvern fart, the wyvern fart should create a conflagration strong enough to burn and kill Grado soldiers in one fell swoop."

Kyza says, "It must be hard to remember all those spells. I understand you may not be capable of using fire."

Ilyana responds, "I know it's hard; therefore I decided to specialize in thunder magic."

The Fire Sage casts his spell, directed at the cloud of wyvern fart – not the person who ride the wyvern or the animal itself. Hitting the wyvern is the task indentured to Ilyana; the reptilian flier has its rider hit by lightning and he falls in the fart cloud, whose explosion is large enough to wipe out all Grado men and monsters in a certain radius. And Kyza goes out to hunt down the beorc "vermin", among the sand cloud the spell created.

Kyza, like all beast laguz, can smell beorc out of undead laguz, and tell undead or living laguz by smell. It comes with no surprise that beorc cannot strike at laguz in that cloud of sand and dust; Kyza's men cut down monsters inhibited by the smoke, like Revenants, Bonewalkers and Tarvos. What they have a harder time with are their undead counterparts, who retain their extended smell and hearing, though at a lesser degree.

Lyre, the younger sister of Lethe, wishes to speak to her superior, "Captain Kyza! How many of these things Grado has?"

Kyza replies, "When the attack on Jehanna began, our own scouts reported that they fought with two hundred thousand "men", of which there is only about two-thirds of that number that actually are beorc. Even if Crimea or Daein did arrive to rescue us, do not expect them to come with more than 15,000."

Lyre curses the Grado army, as she fights the Grado axe-wielders, thinking "Curses! No matter how many we defeat, they just keep coming!" And she doesn't expect any aid to come from Daein, as she thought that Daein would be "trigger-happy" to kill laguz, undead or alive, even if King Ike embraces the ideals of fully integrated societies set forth by Crimea. She thinks Ike is no different from the other thirteen kings before him.

Leonardo tells Ilyana, "Twenty-two!"

Ilyana talks back, "And I'm at 39!"

It was obvious they kept track of kills. He fires steel arrows taken away from enemy corpses because the fletchers couldn't produce arrows fast enough not to make him take arrows away from the dead. Ilyana's magic is somewhat slower than Leonardo's arrows; the _Dawn Brigade_ is a mercenary company from Daein hired by Jehanna Hall whose tasks were very much like Robin Hood because they stole from rich people who commit atrocities (rich people who didn't commit atrocities were not targeted by the Dawn Brigade). Nolan, Edward, Sothe and Micaiah are somewhere else in Jehanna Hall.

Ilyana sees Sothe steal a Rudol Gem from an enemy commander whose atrocities were known well beyond the borders of Grado; therefore she does not target anything near him. However, after stealing the Rudol Gem, Micaiah uses her light magic to blind her enemies and, ultimately, kill them.

On the banks of the Narube River, Elincia's army finally catches to the army led by Eirika, who absorbs a band of Begnion outcasts. Under gray skies, but hopefully no rain, their reunion seems quite happy.

Muarim tells everyone in the fort, "I smell beorc. Lots of beorc, and they are catching up to us!"

Hawke reports that they fly the Crimean flag. "I also see laguz in their humanoid forms! Finally we have the strength to break the siege of Jehanna Hall!", he says.

Elincia asks, "Is everyone ready?"

Eirika then spouts, amid a lot of people, "Let's do this thing!"

And so they march towards Jehanna Hall, in order to break a siege that lasted for months and under horrible heat conditions. Both sides suffered appaling casualties, beorc and laguz alike, as Jehanna defends its rights to beorc-laguz equality and its fully integrated society (perhaps the only one in the world).

* * *

Nevassa. The trial of General Jarod, who lasted only a trickle of days, is about to end. All the evidence have been exposed, and both sides could provide their testimony in complete freedom. He stood trial on the guilts of high treason and espionage. The pleas of both sides were heard without interference. The defendant pleaded guilty for "hatred incitation" and just to be imprisoned; the plaintiff pleaded his beheading by sword. As the evidence simply contradicts itself, here's the judgment Devdan delivers:

Devdan takes his solemn tone and solemnly stands in front of the people in the court. "Devdan delivers his judgment: he orders a duel to the death between General Jarod and another general to be named later", he states.

If these crimes were committed under Ashnard's reign, or in a Begnion territory under direct Senate control, there would be no trial, only instant death. However, Ike himself assigned Devdan, a judge with no knowledge whatsoever of Kingdom Council proceedings, to this trial. A heavily armored General (both rank and class) stands up and slowly walks to a semicircular bar where witnesses and convicts stand up to deliver their testimony. That person begins a speech in front of a belated tribunal.

Maiel makes her speech. "For far too long I had to hide my real convictions and identity in order to play my music in public. I, General Maiel, the personal pianist of the King, had to become a soldier to make my dream come true. When Ike was crowned King, I believed he was crowned in the best interests of Daein. Laguz rights activists no longer have to conceal their opinions to live and act. Ike gave the laguz that fled Begnion to come here a chance to escape a life of slavery and he recognized all their rights as being identical to that of beorc citizens. To atone for all I did when I served Mad King Ashnard as a general, I propose that I fight General Jarod to death!"

Devdan says, "General Maiel, that offer is touching, but what's your real identity? Devdan understands you have no love of injustice…"

Maiel reveals her real identity as being Michelle. The court convenes that the duel be held in the Jousting Grounds of Nevassa at noon. They could use any weapon of their choice, provided that neither weapon gives its wielder an unfair advantage. And both weapons will be inspected before the fight begins, to search for cracks and other such things. Things that one could use to rig a duel in his/her favour; due to the life of the combatants being at stake, one can easily imagine what one could be willing to do in order to win.

And there is, at stake, three things: Jarod's position in the Kingdom Council, the guard of his assets (including children) and the life of either combatant. Ike himself is positioned in the royal cabin, awaiting the arrival of both fighters.

The Herald starts his speech before the crowd, "On the left side, we have the member of our distinguished Kingdom Council, son of Lord Lombroso, duke of Mugill, and Secretary of Public Security, General Jarod. On the right side, we have the very talented Royal Pianist, grand-niece of General Septimus…"

Michelle corrects the Herald, "I am not related to General Septimus! I may have trained under General Septimus when Ashnard sent me to Begnion in order to receive proper musical training, but I have no family alive in Begnion!"

The Herald continues, "On the right side, we have the very talented Royal Pianist, also Roadworks Commander, and daughter of General Kotaff, General Michelle!"

The two fighters ready their weapons, both using Silver Greatlances, as they are both from the highest level of weapon skill possible for second-tier units. They stand near the middle of the area, marked by a circle, of which both combatants stand outside. Their weapons ready, they start the battle. Of course, Jarod is more agile, because his armor is nowhere near as heavy as that of his opponent, even if the protection it affords is nowhere near that of a General's heavy armor. Jarod leaps, but Michelle takes a few, er… a _lot_ of backward steps and the Greatlance thrust is successfully parried.


	12. Renvall!

CHAPTER 12 :

RENVALL!

Still in Nevassa. Ike watches both fighters stand still, exhausted and wounded from combat. He has to go down to the arena itself to see what has become of these two people. They both claim each other has been defeated and then brought to the medical ward, where the abbot of Kisca, who came as a guest of the clergy, listens to the claims made on both sides about the fight. A Bishop tells His Majesty, "We have no choice but to let you judge which one has been defeated."

Ike decides that Jarod has been defeated. He instructs Oscar that if he escapes, he is to strike him down. Jill stuffs Jarod with poisoned wine, prepared just in case a quick death is required and combat made one suffer to the point where surrendering one's life may be the better option. Given his current state, the poison will kill him as quickly as a beheading would do. But Jill is unsure of what to do with his corpse; Tauroneo, however, is allowed to decide on issues pertaining to the death of members of the Kingdom Council.

Tauroneo asks Oscar, "Can you bring this corpse to the coffin maker? Even if he died a traitor, a general is still a general. He deserves to be buried as anyone of his rank would." Four years ago, one couldn't think traitors who came from the nobility would deserve burials like any other nobleman. But this tomb is the proof that the Daein of today considers everyone to deserve a noble end. Well, almost everyone. Jarod's treachery did not involve any stealing or violent acts; if he was a thief, a rapist or an assassin (just fighting under the Thief, Rogue or Assassin classes does not suffice) then his head would be on display in the center of the marketplace.

Oscar takes a standard, wooden cart, harnesses it to his brown horse and he puts Jarod's corpse, covered in the armor he wore at the instant of his death. Other peasants put hay on top of the body, as the horses of the coffin maker were in shortage of hay. And, while the coffin maker was away, his son put all the horses on diets so strict that they have fallen ill; even as they ate what's left of the hay reserves, they didn't fully recover. Also, the pile of hay would make the carriage go unnoticed. Meanwhile, Michelle is given her meal by the medical ward staff. She finds that the beef has a strange taste, for the food has been infused with a special drug whose property is to make the body "feel" like the person who takes it has gained supplementary veterancy, sometimes strength or, for the lucky ones, a class change!

* * *

Renvall. After long weeks of campaigning, the Daein rescue force has finally arrived to the fabled lakeshore castle where Prince Ephraim is. Sad (or happy?) news finally arrived at the prisoners still in the overloaded castle. All the guards of the castle have left the fortress to engage the Daein army, but they were defeated.

Forde, as a watchman, warns, "The Grado army is at our 1 o'clock!"

The first prisoner asks him, "Who are they? They seem intent on recapturing the castle!" Also, the second prisoner tells that after the death of Murray at their hands, the survivors would have alerted Grado Keep…

Ephraim, worried and in disbelief, asks Forde, "Oh no… Forde, are you sure the Grado army had us completely surrounded?"

Kyle answers, "Your Highness, this is not the Grado army, but… Daein!"

Ephraim mutters, from his position in the watch tower, "Daein! I heard that Daein has captured all the territories from here to Ide. And they are with the Free Renais army. Open the gate!" Renvall's main gate is so heavy it requires eight Knights (or rather say, a General and seven Knights) to open; the Daein army enters the stronghold through the vaulted gate. Calill meets up with Ephraim while his band of Knights of Free Renais make up the watch on top of the castle. Kyle and Forde seem to forget about the presence of the Daein troops, which makes them uneasy.

Ephraim turns to Calill. "King Ike finally acknowledged that the true place of Daein is with the United Nations.", he says. "Do you have any news of my sister?"

Calill, also in disbelief, asks, "Princess Eirika?" She tells His Highness that the U.N. General Assembly convened that Ephraim's sister was to be with the group led by Crimea. They have word from Jehanna Hall that the Crimean Army is fighting alongside the laguz armies of Jehanna and a group of Phoenicis hawks.

Lute begins her speech. "You may not know it, but for years, I kept the secret. The orders from the King of Renais were clear: "The people must know nothing of your origins. Tell them only if some great peril strikes." However, with all that happened, Emperor Vigarde's actions, I feel necessary that I tell you everything, Your Highness." She asks, "Are you ready to hear the secret of my own origins?"

Ephraim nods. He stands silently as Lute continues to tell everyone her secret. "As you all know, Emperors of Begnion are the true heirs of Altina. You suppose you don't know what happens when you're not the one destined to the apostolic crown… that's exactly what happened to me. King Fado confided this information to me before I went away from the royal palace of Renais. Simply put, Begnion dispossessed and disowned me. They sent me in exile… I am the younger sister of Sanaki."

Ephraim, surprised, asks the purple-haired Sage, "The younger sister of Sanaki?"

Calill commens about a few things related to the 11-year-old magic user. "Now that I think about it, that fact may account for many things: your magical proficiency, and also the fact you boast very often… That doesn't mean you're the younger sister of the Apostle that there isn't any mage better than you are! Perhaps not myself but just… someone else can do somewhat better."

Ephraim solemnly states that he gives his full support to Lute, not only as a Renais citizen but also as family of Begnion royalty. "Allow me to apologize for the discourtesies I have made. We did indeed capture Renvall, but Vigarde did not care for its prisoners, beorc or laguz. After we killed Murray, Grado pulled back from the castle in order to search for an enemy force.", he says.

Lute begins to talk about their strategy. "Their forces were stretched thin at that time. Grado faces Frelia and Daein to the west, and the laguz armies of Jehanna to the east. Princess Tana commands the Frelian army; Lord Pelleas for the Daeins. I suppose the Begnion Senate wouldn't care too much about Grado's defeat."

At this moment, a Druid enters the castle, with Grado crests on it. He waves a white flag, meaning that he surrenders. As the rest of the Daein soldiers get into the castle, he stays close to them, fearing that the gate will snap him open. Knoll announces to His Highness that he has troubling news about Renais. Ephraim then asks the Druid, "What news?"

Knoll tells the shocking tale of Orson, once an intensely devoted knight of Renais. "He signed a blood pact with Grado! What I didn't tell Orson, was that, to break a blood pact, you needed to meet two conditions: first, kill one of the sides involved, and, second, destroy the physical document. Either condition by itself is insufficient. So we have to search for Vigarde himself; the Begnion Senate wouldn't meddle with Renais directly. Knowing Vigarde, he would keep the document on himself, due to its very nature.", he concludes.

He fears that the document would be put on "malevolent hands" if he didn't keep the thing on him, and that anyone who would assassinate him would be after him only to break the blood pact. Or that, if put elsewhere, he fears that the people who would then safeguard the document would secretly destroy it and then assassinate Vigarde. Anyway, even if he can still exert control on Renais, he has more to fear than the Begnion Senate alone. With Orson killed, his fears were assuaged, but only a small bit.

Ephraim mutters, "Calill, Lute, Moulder… Thank you. Thank you. I am… so very happy. With you at my side, I want to retake the kingdom of Renais. Please, lend me your strength."

Calill states, "Of course!" Lute then tells the foursome that they cannot possibly defeat Grado without her genius at their side.

Moulder ends the pledge of the group. "To you, Prince Ephraim, we three pledge loyalty."

* * *

Taizel. The Daein army pitched camp for a few days in order to rest in the farmlands nearby. For some reason, Pelleas organizes a war council, where a few of his chief lieutenants take part in it: Vika, Eurytos and Duessel, in his personal tent in the middle of the makeshift camp.

Pelleas asks, "What news? Do you have a plan to capture Taizel?"

Vika formulates her plan of action, "Taizel is the beginning of a straight road to the capital, but we will have to fight every step. The Grado army outnumbers us Daeins by a certain amount. Here's my plan: we will wait at night to get into the city. Then, we will hit them fast enough so they cannot take their positions. Lord Pelleas, my role in this is to take out the catapults and the mages. And you are to kill the Grado soldiers when they sleep. Kill the enemy guards making the rounds, for we are certain to fall on enemy patrols."

However, in the walls of Taizel, Aias leads a patrol of men even as Roark stands on his back. Roark fears that laguz may appear; he made nightmares for every night he fought laguz, in fact, ever since he led the pillage of the laguz district of the capital of Renais. Or he fought against laguz, for that matter. Roark tells Aias that this is complete lunacy. "Look at how meager our force is, considering our proximity to the frontline!", he says. Aias tells General Roark that they're only doing the rounds this evening. They think they don't need a larger force. Besides, they believe laguz are no match…

Roark "insults" Aias, "No, you're wrong! Even now, these bloodthirsty beats stalk us! The sub-humans! They want to consume me!" Aias pleads his General to calm himself, as he says this every night, and they have yet to see laguz encroach this place at night!

One of the Heroes under Roark's command warns the group, "Enemy fire! We're under attack! It's those Kilvan birds! The laguz are attacking!"

The bird laguz in the Daein army, led by Vika, Arch-Druid of Kilvas, have made use of light magic to inflict casualties on the enemy forces, but also to light the path for the other laguz. Vika faces an enemy Druid in a magical duel while Pelleas' men batter the main gate down with magic. Once the gate has burst into flames, they meet no resistance and Diadora wants to give chase to Roark… At this moment Diadora then requests permission to chase General Roark! Vika, in denying that permission, claims that pursuing General Roark would bring the whole garrison to ready against them. However, in a street surrounding the wall, Franz runs in against an Archer getting in position to go to the catapult, and he cuts the bowstring of his enemy, to stab him afterward. The corpse of the archer is found near a butcher's shop. The enemy Druid, near Franz, is to fight Vika; however, he decides not to stab the enemy magic-user in the back and goes for the Hero instead. As a Paladin, he uses his Steel Blade to cut the enemy Halberd, leaving the Hero without a weapon to counter cavalry. To continue the fight, he pulls out a… Bronze Sword? It goes without saying that the Hero is losing the game to Franz.

As for Vika, the Druid's magic gives her some trouble. She is the target of the enemy's Verrine, though the enemy does not realize that his foe is a laguz of the bird tribe. For this reason, her tremendous magical resistance allows her to give enough time for her to dodge the spell. When a Daein Sniper near her fires an arrow, the Sniper didn't expect the arrow to hit the Druid, but the Halberdier instead. And the Druid Vika was fighting is nothing more but a cadaver; she loots a Verrine spell from him before she takes wing and transform. However, as a laguz-sized raven, she cannot use magic and therefore, she has to inflict physical damage. Pelleas himself finds Aias and casts Verrine on his tightly packed group. So tightly packed that some cannot find the space to dodge. By then, Eurytos goes for the docks with his men, without running into enemy patrols or booby-traps, though he recognizes that his superior officer is in danger, for which he rushes to his aid. The aftermath of the spell is that some of Aias' men are wounded, an Halberdier is killed and another Halberdier has been blinded, leaving the path for Vika to kill him. Franz, however, leads his path into the door of the soldiers' quarters, of which he forces his way through. Pelleas gives his orders, "The guards are almost done in for! Eurytos, finish this!"

Eurytos uses his Knight Killer and pierces through the horse's body, putting Aias off his paint mount in a dark alley. With another quick stab, Aias is dead. The mounted Great Knight has finally known defeat. And he masses his men in the door of the barracks nearest to his position, as one of his men picks on the lock of the door. When the "locksmith" is done with the lock, Eurytos sends his men to kill the men-at-arms that are still asleep. Same thing for Pelleas, but he chooses to go for the cellars afterwards, in search for able-bodied prisoners to be freed.

Vika and her band of bird-tribe laguz fall asleep in the marketplace, near the entrance to the cathedral of the city. Granted, the cathedral is nowhere near the size of the Mainal Cathedral of Sienne, but the bishop opens the door and takes the three raven laguz inside piecemeal. When they awaken, the bishop asks a few things to them. The bishop asks the bird tribe laguz, "Why were you in this city?"

Vika answers, "I'm the Arch-druid of Kilvas. I'm with Daein to free the laguz imprisoned throughout Grado. Your Grace, should I take you to safety?"

The Bishop replies with, "Even I questioned the whole war. I waited for an occasion to join an enemy of Grado and today's the day. Yes, take me to safety."

Radmin, the anima magic-user, asks, "Why did you wait until now to fight the Grado army?"

Diadora claims that Grado has tortured innocent laguz since the beginning of this war. If he wants to save whatever laguz are left… Daein is the way to go! "Grado wishes to destroy the Sacred Stones, and Begnion is supporting it!", she says.

Vika also makes her claims, "I have seen firsthand what Grado did to its own Sacred Stone. However, I heard that the Sacred Stone of Frelia has been transferred to Daein and the Stone of Jehanna resides in Gallia. Prince Lyon branded me a traitor but I was saved by Daein."

Pelleas' men saves countless prisoners and Taizel falls. At daybreak, they make the count of the prisoners and they find thousands of laguz as well as beorc imprisoned not only in the proper jail cells but also in the sewers. Many of these beorc have been imprisoned because they wanted to betray Grado, but some of them also were laguz rights activists. And the laguz simply were victims of the ill treatments of Grado.

Myrrh hollers, "We are looking for a bishop, by the name of Lovestospooch. Taizel has been captured, now is the time to speak up against Grado!"

Lovestospooch fanatically says, "Today, a new day has come for Taizel! Grado has long violated the rights of its criminals! The time has come for us to pay back!"

Myrrh warns everyone in the cathedral, "There is a flow of evil… I can feel it!"

Lovestospooch also warns her, "The city is not safe for a Goldoan princess. I kept you hidden from Begnion because you were wanted back there."

Myrrh says that he discarded Goldoa nobility because of the Great Flood. Just after the Great Flood, there was a faction of dragons who left Goldoa and lived in the Darkling Woods and the other one remained in Goldoa. King Goldoa's younger brother is the leader of the Magvel dragon faction; his name is Morva. Even if her father is on the other side of the sea… she is not a Goldoan princess, but a princess of Darkling!

Lovestospooch distracts all four laguz by saying that the Grado army left a notice. "If anyone can defeat the Cyclops in the Circus Horrificus, the city is his/hers to control!" is written on the notice. As for the Circus Horrificus itself... This "circus" is open only at night. It is said that ancient demonic creatures dwell in the arena. If anyone is to cleanse the arena… it's the Daein army. For they have come to fight the abominations in the haunted building. At this time, they did not find any ghost or monster, only… beorc guardians.

Burton tells the group, "If you wish to defeat the Cyclops, you have to go through me!"

Amelia taunts Burton, "Leave it to me, beorc knight!"

The white-clad Grado General begins the fight by drawing his sword and, at the same time, ghosts surround the two people who fight. He begins by charging at the woman, but he realizes that Amelia has developed a style that allows her to fight and move much faster than other Generals, but only as fast as an Halberdier. That being said, she thrust her lance and, as her foe parries the blow, gets a dent in his sword. And… another dent! Amelia's speed allows her to take the weak spot of the enemy armor and to exploit it.

As the enemy General lies dead, two people show up: a red-clad Swordmaster named Isaiah, wielding a Silver Blade and a tall beorc magic-user (a shame that Begnion or Grado do not recognize that laguz could also use magic to a level where they can effectively fight with it before they morph) in teal robes whose name is Wystan.

Isaiah admonishes the laguz, "Die, sub-human curs!"

Wystan, on the other hand, proves to be more conciliating, "If only circumstances were different… if only we could understand each other as species…"

Vika, in the background, tells Diadora to take the Fire Mage while Radmin takes the Swordmaster. Diadora casts her spell, Shine (the Tellius version because the Magvel version is more akin to Ellight), and they blind both men. However, the second raven can finally get to see any better than with the torch lit in the haunted premises. The laguz couple fought untransformed all the time before this fight started. So they both shift and they eat the eyes away from their beorc enemies. By then, there is no one left to guard the main enemy of the arena: the Cyclops who is the object of the notice left by the Grado army.

Lovestospooch then says, "Leave it to me, laguz! Even Diadora, the laguz bishop, does not have a bonus vs. monsters…but I do! And I'm the rightful master of Taizel!"

Diadora says to Duke Lovestospooch, "You were on a mission to Kilvas during the Mad King's War! I saw you somewhere, my lord!"

The giant one-eyed monster begins the fight against Lord Lovestospooch by throwing an axe at him, but even the old bishop is fast enough to dodge the hit. Needless to say, the other people who were killed by the Cyclops simply closed in too much and were killed by the Swordslayer. But Lovestospooch uses the moment his foe needs to "recharge" his axe throw to cast his Divine spell. Blinded by the intense light, the Cyclops cannot aim very well either. Therefore, the Bishop remains at the last position he was to cast his second Divine spell and the Cyclops falls dead on a skeleton after the spell hits. Once the Cyclops dies, Lovestospooch undertakes his Sanctification, as his many years of service as a Bishop, healing his own people and leading his forces in battle against bandits, gave him much-needed veterancy.

* * *

The Darkling Woods host the Black Temple of the Demon King. Many laguz reside in the ancient woods; their territory extend to Jehanna through Neleras Peak; this is why Senator Riev's army cannot reinforce the Grado army fighting in Jehanna Hall. Simply put, the laguz army based in the Darkling Woods defeated the Begnion army in Neleras Peak. However, exhausted, that army suffered heavy losses and it cannot reinforce the army of Crimea that fights to free Jehanna Hall, the capital of Jehanna, entrenched in the middle of the desert.

Elincia orders her men to form up. Even if the Crimean army is under the command of Elincia, there are plenty of groups: Saleh leads the Carcino-based group, Sudler for the renegade Begnion army, Muarim for the beast-tribe laguz, Hawke for the bird-tribe laguz, Eirika for the Free Renais army and Innes for the Frelian army. What is left of the Daein contingent is split into different groups: Anna with the beast-tribe laguz, some of the beorc with Renais and others still with Frelia. Seven groups are then headed different ways. The bird tribe laguz, the main Crimean army and the renegade Begnion forces go after Valter to the south, the beast tribe laguz and the Magvel-based troops fight Caellach to the west. And no one has much cover when there is no sandstorm brewing. That being said, cavalry is best to be used as the last line of defense, for horsemen cannot go very far in such terrain. And so the cavalry stays away.

Muarim witnesses his men advance faster than the beorc trailing behind him. Apart from magic-users, thieves, rogues or assassins. He realizes that Grado thieves do not fully use the advantages of their agility in the sandy terrain, but Begnion thieves do. Obviously, they did not have much to steal, so the fragility of thieves makes them vulnerable. The rabble of Begnion throws knives at its renegade troops.

Sudler gives his orders to his men, "The Begnion army fights like bandits! Target the thieves first!"

Bilodeau, using the power concealed within her quick, calculating brain, shoots Ellight shots in rapid succession, hitting several Thieves and Rogues, along with Mages and Monks. The charred bodies of her enemies make it easy for her men, as well as Elincia and Hawke to use their respective swords to kill them. As for Elincia herself, she uses her Amiti, the royal sword of Crimea, like a Brave Sword, so she can kill enemies like the Warrior on her right with two hits while they can only strike once at best.

The Soldiers and Halberdiers clash with the Begnion rabble, people who were convicted of thievery and/or murders and who fight as Thieves or Rogues. The harder armor makes them more resistant to thievery attacks, as the Rogues and Assassins who serve as their officers expect to fight flying units and/or dismounted magic-users, like Bilodeau or Sudler. On the other side of the Begnion lines…

Kyza admonsihes the Grado troops massed before him, "Insects of Grado! We'll show you the power of the laguz!" At the same time, Lyre also admonishes the enemy soldiers, "Beorc scum! For the razing of our homes, we'll make you wish you'd never been enlisted!"

Riev warns the laguz, "Filthy sub-humans! This war ends now. Prepare yourselves!"

Ilyana warns the people around her, "A beorc army is approaching from the sand bank to the west!" Nolan tells that the flag is that of the Crimean army. This flag sends a wave of doubt in the defenders, even as Leonardo then suspects that Crimea intends to side with Grado after all. Micaiah reassures the group, stating that Crimea is a member in good standing of the Laguz League. "Why Queen Elincia would suddenly betray both the League and her own convictions to side with a nation who mistreats laguz at every corner?", she asks.

She also fires Ellight shots in rapid succession; when she does so, one of the Grado shamans gets hit quite badly, loses balance and gets stuck in the magical quicksands created by the mages who defend the area. These two mages are readying their spell combination: the beorc Sage casts Fimbulvetr on a massed formation of Grado soldiers. The spell hits the group with tremendous icing force; the laguz Druid casts Arcfire and the giant icicle melts.

With the Druid she kills as a Bishop, Micaiah suddenly is surrounded by blinding light that makes her an obvious target but, for some reason, she is not targeted and begins her Sanctification instead. She becomes a Saint, a third-tier Priest or Monk (Magvel Clerics can also become Saints if they choose to become Bishops as second-tier combatants). As the true leader of the Dawn Brigade, she fights on with her magic, who makes her opponents fear her.

Marisa, though, approaches the enemy beorc soldiers. With her superior agility (though not quite as high as a Begnion Thief) she dodges the enemy lances as she closes under the lance points, cutting their limbs and, sometimes, lances. By then, she also undertakes a class-change process; in her case, it's a Swordmastery. Unfortunately for her, a Halberdier makes her suffer from tennis-elbow and she has to fall back to find a Priest or a Cleric to make her battle-worthy again.

And Muarim eats away at enemy bodies, as he puts his claws into enemy soldiers under his humanoid form. However, under humanoid form, he doesn't fight as he would in his tiger form. His fellow beorc protect him in order to buy him the time to charge his transformation, even as some of his laguz comrades already fight under their animal forms. Mordecai asks Commander Muarim, "What news?"

Muarim orders her men to target the enemy Halberdiers. Mordecai's pure might mows down some enemy medium infantry (i.e. Soldiers, Halberdiers) while Lethe, Muarim's second-in-command, runs off to catch a few Thieves off-guard, like Vartel, a Grado thievery officer hired as a Renais mercenary, whose body lays dead. But before that thievery officer died, he tried to snatch a Vulnerary from an untransformed cat laguz. Thieves don't fight very well against masses of laguz or heavily armed/armored beorc. One of the Mages who remain afar casts a long-range Blizzard spell, raining down heavy snows and hail. Tormod, as he fights the Grado medium infantry with his magic, casts an Arcfire spell on the heap of ice, still melting from the hot Jehanna sun. As a result, Soldiers and Halberdiers get trapped in the quicksands. Mages casting Fire and Thunder spells kill many Soldiers and Halberdiers but some enemy Priests and Bishops use Rescue and/or Rewarp staves to extract those trapped in these traps of death.

Anna shouts to her men, "Caellach dead ahead!"

At that moment, a Druid among General Caellach's men, who was simply sitting on a chair to test the beer, accidently threw out the beer keg on his men, even as his clothes remain stuck on his chair. The undrinkable beer fills the air around the Druid, who lacked the strength to carry the beer keg a long distance. As she transforms into a dragon as large as a farmhouse, Anna spits fire directly at Caellach and the alcohol-fueled fire bursts on Caellach's close guard, including the Druid who threw it in the first place. And the foul farts of a fat Warrior behind the Druid seals the fate of both the Druid and the Warrior, as they are consumed by fire.

Haar makes the things go worse for the Grado army under Caellach's command as he carries a "bambi bucket" attached to the tail of his wyvern, filled with boiling oil. And Ilyana gets promoted in the heat of battle to an Archsage, where she uses her magical skills to take on a Wyvern Lord who command a wing of Wyvern Riders. Zeffren descends into a steep nose-dive towards not Ilyana but Lyre, and she distracts the Wyvern Lord while Ilyana casts Arcthunder to success as the Wyvern Lord is aground. Lyre uses her razor-sharp claws to cut holes into the wyvern's body and two holes deep enough are drilled in a timely fashion. Zeffren admonishes the "Blasted sub-humans!" but Lyre interrupts him by saying, "We're not "sub-humans"! Jehanna recognizes everyone is equal!"

The one who previously mounted a wyvern hides in the largest mosque of the capital, full of vaulted columns and glasswork. Ilyana exploits Zeffren's vulnerability to magic and the vaulted halls of the Jehanna Royal Mosque see the thunder as Zeffren gets hit and dies a few moments later, due to the burns the magic inflicted.

As the quicksands dry up, some trapped soldiers are finally capable to be rescued safely by conventional means. But the surprises that await them are far worse than quicksands: Kyza orders that a catapult be rigged with a small keg of Greek fire and the keg be thrown towards Grado soldiers. Unfortunately, his plans backfire as the keg itself remain stuck on a Hero's helmet. A keg who gets removed as a Soldier remarks some oddity from the siege engineers who man the catapult. "The siege engineers must have been pretty precise to hit one person in particular", he thought.

The Soldier and the Hero catches fire and, very quickly, a massed formation catches fire. This is the timing the Laguz Alliance needed: their enemies would create artificial sandstorms and they would cast fire on it yet again. After the Laguz League pulls a huge fiery prank, the enemy had to extinguish the fire. And, through the fiery prank, all the undead forces are wiped out.

Anna tells everyone that it is her chance to kill Caellach. "Do not interfere with my kill!", she orders. The big dragon scratches Caellach very badly and, taking in account that he was severely burned in the fiery prank pulled by the League, he could barely move his badly scorched axe arm. As a third-tier Vanguard, he put all his remaining strength in his axe and throws his Tomahawk at Anna. The axe bit only dents her skin but, before she reverts, she spits fire once again and Caellach dies, amid a large fire. And, as fire dies down, Sudler also casts light magic spells in quick succession. The end result is that blinded enemies who played dead to avoid it are no longer playing as they actually are dead. However, this comes at the cost of losing a flag-bearer, as a Grado Sniper killed him, using a well-placed Steel Arrow. At this time, a red-clad Hero takes up the flag and carries it into battle, effectively replacing his steel-made shield. As for the shield, an Halberdier, who had its shield destroyed, takes it up and continues his fight.

Valter's remaining forces are at least three times as numerous as the Crimean army, but the Crimean case becomes worse as the main body of the Grado army, led by Riev, has been directed to fight the beorc forces of Crimea directly, instead of fighting the laguz on the walls of Jehanna Hall.

And the prime Crimean flag-bearer gets to kill an enemy Sniper, still alive despite the huge fire on the battlefield, for she closed in under the chaos the sandstorm created. For some reason, the Crimean flag-bearer's Halberdiering goes awry and the newly promoted Halberdier gains the ability to use Swords instead.

Haar asks Suzie, "Are you OK, my lady?"

Suzie, in disbelief, "How do you know I'm enlisted as a knight? Perhaps my marriage with Sir Kieran gave away?"

Haar then orders Suzie to take any of the swords on the ground. She then feels like the sword is more her calling than the lance, as she wields an Iron Sword and she seems to strike faster than if she used her Steel Greatlance, almost as fast as an Hero but not quite like a Swordmaster. At the same time, Kyza sends his men to guard one of the gates of Jehanna Hall, for which the enemy musters a giant battering ram that requires four Cyclops to man.

The gate itself holds off two swings of the battering ram, but at the third hit, the gate falls and monsters begin to pour in the streets, like Maunthe Doogs and, of course, undead laguz, in either transformed or untransformed shapes.

Lyre admonishes the undead laguz, "Laguz scum! Why are you raised from the grave?"

* * *

Far to the west, the Daein army in position in Taizel is the seat of an unexpected happening regarding its own forces. The Lord Lovestospooch, when he gathers all prisoners that are capable to fight, the solar clock in the plaza in front of his cathedral indicates noon. Vika and her close guard apparently left to meet with what's left of the Kilvan army in the Za'albul Marsh.

Lovestospooch makes his speech, "Today is a day for all to remember! Let's bravely charge the fields of Grado to drive the laguz-haters off our lands!"

Pelleas asks him, "Where are you guys?"

Lovestospooch answers that he is over there, by the cart. The cart Lovestospooch refers to is to be found near the cathedral and the freed prisoners because it contains weapons: axes, knives, swords, bows, lances, even magic tomes for the more intellectual people. Prisoners recover the weapons they previously wielded before the Grado jailors took them away upon arrest. Somehow, Eurytos and Franz feel uneasy distributing weapons to prisoners, culminating in Eurytos having diarrhea and having to leave for the cathedral crypt, where one can go around to urinate or taking a crap.

Franz turns to Eurytos, "We've been waiting forever! Even Lovestospooch, who is usually quite patient, showed signs of impatience!"

Eurytos explains to Lovestospooch, "Well, I have to take a dump, milord!"

Lovestospooch insults the Daein Halberdier, "If you didn't eat so ill, you wouldn't have diarrhea all the time!"

Lords Lovestospooch and Pelleas convene inside the cathedral, leaving all the prisoners to rest and/or train for their next fight. Inside the glasswork-covered halls, they speak of their plans for the rest of the war.

Pelleas begins the conversation, "Many Grado soldiers are unwilling to continue the fight; yet, the Begnion Senate won't let Grado surrender unless Vigarde dies." He formulates his plan, "Our plan is to kill Vigarde as soon as we can. To this end, we must mount an assault on Grado Keep _as soon as possible_. Also, Lord Lovestospooch, I must inform you that Lord Duessel is responsible for the Grado beorc prisoners, while I command the core Daein army."

Lovestospooch solemnly tells him an extra piece of information concerning Pelleas' father, "I heard your father was slain against Daein; he sided with Grado because he felt that Renais was corrupt. And, as I know that your father did not have any other child, then you are duke of Borgo from the very moment he died."

Pelleas announces that he will discard Daein peerage and remain with Renais, even if he leads Daein forces in battle. He also states that King Ike trusted him only because he had unshakeable faith that Grado violated laguz rights and that, once defeated, it will return back to normal and that he wouldn't betray Daein's cause. Lovestospooch finally states that Daein is still on Renais' side and, at the same time, that they'll depart Taizel in two days.

* * *

In the desert citadel of Jehanna Hall, Kyza's men hold off the battle against the Cyclops who man the battering ram. Ilyana begins by casting Elthunder on the first Cyclops' eye, making it go blind but it does little to placate their efforts. Another beorc mage goes around using Fimbulvetr and it grounds the forward Cyclops, giving the laguz below enough time to rend the flesh of their monster enemies. Lyre and Mordecai eat through the flesh and makes the left Cyclops bleed from his legs; Ilyana casts another Elthunder spell and the magically hurt, right-hand Cyclops collapses but remains alive. Kyza himself is surprised to find an enemy Saint behind the second line of Cyclops and, as such, engages him, leaving his men, such as Lyre, to fend off the other two Cyclops.

Muarim orders his men to take the close guard of Senator Riev while he takes on Riev himself. He leaves the cat sisters to fight a dragon, along with Mordecai. Kyza himself makes a change of plan and he is to engage Riev directly, leaving Muarim to take the head Cyclops, which is in the back of the battering ram. The general of the Laguz League suddenly remembers that the weak spot of a Cyclops is behind its eye! With this information, it pierces the eye before the Cyclops can react and he rends the flesh behind the eye, making it fall on the heavy ram. Before the lead Cyclops fall, though, the beast had a hole punched in the entire depth of its head.

Even as the ram falls, the other two Cyclops are deadlocked by the height of the gate, whose clearance is not high enough to let it pass. Their sheer size make the defenders on the cakewalk above the gate able to strike at the one-eyed abominations with either magic or arrows. Kyza uses this diversion to fight Riev head-on while Lethe, Lyre, Mordecai and Muarim fight the Zombie Dragon Laguz, with Ilyana to cover their backs with thunder magic.

Riev asks Kyza, "Where did you hide Jehanna's Sacred Stone?"

Kyza answers that he never knew where Jehanna's Sacred Stone was in the first place. Obviously, he is by no means a monster, only a laguz. As a Tiger, he leaps forward at Riev's aging body, who is caught off-guard but still alive. In turn, the excommunicated bishop casts Divine, making his own pet dragon blind but only slightly affects the Jehanna laguz officer. With the dragon blind, he blindly spits wretched air everywhere, even among its own allies. This proves to be part of Riev's undoing but Kyza finishes him off. As Riev dies, all monsters on the battlefield (and also elsewhere on the continent) suddenly die and/or vanish. As for Valter, the crazy psycho Wyvern Paladin (a third-tier Wyvern Knight), he fights not only Haar, but also Elincia and Hawke. Having then learned that Valter's lance is actually a cursed lance given to him by Duessel after a laguz broke his previous lance, Haar's objective is to break the lance so his foe can regain some sort of sanity. Hawke, in hawk form, is to make the wyvern go mad and make its rider fall to the ground. Using Amiti, Elincia parries the thrust of the cursed Spear while Haar throws his axe so much as to break it. He used the Spear quite a lot to kill laguz and beorc enemies alike, so one knows that the worn-down Spear will soon break. And Haar's trick works; Valter regains his sanity and no longer wishes to engage in mindless killing. But he thinks that fighting Elincia, along with her flying lackeys, as a battle he must fight to the death. He draws the sword he uses for display in social gatherings and the weakened Valter asks both Haar and Hawke to leave him alone against Elincia. She is drawn to a sword fighting duel against another flying fighter. Valter did not want to fight the other two because he did not deem the other fliers worthy of him, as they are not nobles and he is from a noble family, who led a territory located east of Grado Keep for generations. Caught off-guard because of his wyvern, Valter gets his head cut by Elincia, at the very moment where a messenger calls for the decommission of Caellach, Riev and Valter, including all men under his command, leaving General Roark, the Cinnabar, as the supreme commander of the Grado Imperial Army.


	13. Enter Elibe

After a long hiatus, due to a lack of inspiration, I decided to resume the writing of this story. Note that I introduced a few characters of my own...

* * *

CHAPTER 13 :

ENTER ELIBE

The day begins and General Roark does not feel safe. After all, the other Grado generals lie dead or captured: Glen, the Sunstone, Selena, the Fluorspar, Caellach, the Tiger Eye, Valter, the Moonstone and Riev, the Blood Beryl, are all dead and the only one alive, Duessel, the Obsidian, is on Daein's side.

When General Roark, the Cinnabar, was first hired by Grado, he was the leader of a Begnion-based mercenary company specialized in hunting laguz bandits. As such, he hunted laguz and led the pillage of the laguz district of the capital city of Renais. And he was a Halberdier; over the course of the war, he promoted to become one of few Sentinels (third-tier Soldiers) among Grado's army. He was appointed to the rank of Gemstone General only late into the conflict, approximately when Daein has captured Bethroen. He was promoted to a generic general after the successful massacre of the laguz of Renais Castle; however, it seems that, among generals, he wasn't very respected and some people, at court, belittled him as they claim that he became a general only to kill laguz.

To be awarded a gemstone is the highest honor a Grado general can achieve. If a general achieves that honor, he is promoted to the highest rank in the Grado army, a Gemstone General. Therefore, there are generic generals who died: Gheb, Saar, Novala, Tirado, Aias, Hafedd (under his undead form), Izuka, Beran or even Murray. However, there is an hierarchy among generic generals: Izuka seemed to be senior to Gheb, Murray seemed to have control over Novala and Tirado over Murray. And comparing Izuka to Tirado was next to impossible by way of seniority alone.

Therefore General Roark is the last piece remaining under Vigarde's hands to defend its capital. He is the _de facto_ supreme commander of the Grado military and gathered his forces within the capital city in order to steel itself for a siege. Vigarde asks General Roark, "what news?"

Roark answers that three armies are marching on Grado Keep. To their north, the Free Renais army, led by Prince Ephraim, to their west, the Daein army under Duke Pelleas and, to their east, the Laguz League led by Tibarn. He'd say that Free Renais is the smallest and will arrive the faster. They must not forget that there are different groups among the Laguz League: Crimea under the command of Elincia… Vigarde then showed him the list of leaders that he wants captured _alive_: Duessel, Elincia, Innes, Ismaire, Pelleas, Vika, Lovestospooch, Eirika, Ephraim, Tana, Calill. A puzzled Roark asks, with anger, "Lovestospooch? Since when Lord Lovestospooch betrayed Grado?"

Cormag pitches in, "Lovestospooch betrayed us only a few days back. Even if he did defeat the Cyclops fair and square, that didn't grant him the right to serve whoever he wish." After that, Roark replies, "Duke Lovestospooch? Lovestospooch has spooched one time too many!" Cormag says, by then, that Roark wanted to bring the prisoners of the Za'albul Marsh here and to bring them as hostages, but Vigarde decided against it.

Roark asks His Majesty, "Why didn't You let me bring the prisoners here? We risk everything here. If Daein or Renais captures the prisoner camp of Za'albul Marsh, they gain thousands of able-bodied prisoners, men, women and maybe a couple of children. And they bolster their ranks. This is how Daein captured Fort Rigwald, Majesty. Through the use of its prisoners." His suzerain answers that Grado Keep has no room left for other prisoners. And it's at least twice as many as Fort Rigwald could hold during the siege.

Alder, one fo the jailers, says, "If I may, Fort Rigwald had 6,000 prisoners when it was captured. Risking our capital city by keeping like 20,000 prisoners in a single place is really not a sound strategy. Release these prisoners or else we'll be defeated!" Vigarde counters his jailer's claim, "But the enemy does not have many weapons to spare. Neither us not our enemy would have weapon reserves totalling twenty thousand weapons. General Roark, the weapons we confiscated from these prisoners were somehow shipped to the frontlines. We have nothing to fear about the prisoners. I guess we can pardon some of them…" Roark refutes with anger again, "Even if we freed them, the prisoners wouldn't have the time to manufacture twenty thousand weapons in three days! The prisoners won't be a threat to us, Majesty. They would be able to make a few hundred weapons at best."

Alder pitches in, "Who knows what tricks our enemies would use? General Pelleas has captured Taizel through a night raid…" Roark then asks a treacherous question, "Who do you fear most, the Kilvan tactical genius on his side, Vika, or Jehanna's sheer might?" Vigarde stands back, "Free Renais, under the command of Prince Ephraim! We know how Jehanna fights: they send laguz on the front lines and keep the beorc to cover their backs. If they're good sappers, they can get in our city by the sewers."

Roark claims that General Vika can attempt to take out the catapults or the ballistae… A puzzled Alder asks him, General Vika? Kilvas made her a general? Knowing Kilvas, they would circle the capital and ensure that no airborne units would escape.

Roark answers the jailer, "Don't forget Phoenicis too! Tibarn would take to the field here; if he does, that would mean our airborne units would be toast! With the death of Riev, our monster army is whittled to nothing, meaning the Demon King would seek refuge in Begnion's Tower of Guidance." Vigarde claimed that Fomortiis would take months to get to Sienne by itself.

Roark warns the group, "Do not underestimate the Begnion Senate's magic! Senator Lekain, with Valtome and Numida, would try to summon the Demon King away from Grado. Such a ritual is a long process and would take days. But it's still better than the Demon King taking months to travel with the danger that enemy commanders would try and kill him."

They do not know that both Free Renais and Daein prepare something on their side. However, Vika brings with her a clan treasure, the tome containing the most powerful dark magic tome known on Tellius, Balberith. "People with prejudice would say, _Sub-human piece of filth!_ _You don't have the brains to use magic! Leave it to us humans!_ ", she thought. But she knows she can trust Pelleas because he fights on with Daein for the purpose of rooting out the prejudice.

Vika speaks to Pelleas, "Many prejudiced fighters started mercenary companies. As far as I'm aware, they fought with an almost total lack of discipline as they rampaged Renais and Jehanna. That sealed their defeat at the hands of the Laguz League and us. The very best of Grado are entrenched in the capital." Pelleas answers, "Here's our trick: we can pretend we're refugees fleeing the Daein army… hide our weapons under our supply carts and our magic tomes under our clothes. However, all we could do before we're detected is to break a gate open with magic."

Lovestospooch wonders, "Breaking a gate open with magic? We have until daybreak. We come here at night, but anyway most of the Grado soldiers would be sleeping at the time."

Within General Roark's quarters, though not as luxurious as Vigarde's, something makes his sovereign uneasy. And the general himself.

Roark muttered, "Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this. Crimea commands the eastern front, under Queen Elincia, who takes to the field personally. And I also sense that Crimea is a far greater threat than Daein!"

Vigarde counters his mutterings, "Crimea? The Laguz League as a whole is on the move! Crimea is merely a pawn under Jehanna's hands!"

One of the Halberdiers of that beorc "pawn", in the Laguz League's camp, has her crystal ball ready, captured among the booty of a supply convoy. She sees through it that she has to learn magic to get out of Grado Keep alive, because she would foresee that her armor is of no use against some enemies or that she would try to force a door open. And that the situation would force her to use the power of her intellect instead of her weapons.

However, she feels that she is running out of time to learn the things properly, so she has to resort to learning the basic spells, and only one at that. But what happens in the Jehanna base camp is very little compared to what happens in the royal palace of Daein:

Tauroneo asks Ninan, "What news?" Ninian answers the white-clad general, "Hatari cannot fight Begnion on behalf of the United Nations; more pressing matters await us. Bern has allied with Begnion a few weeks back and there was an uprising in Caledonia as well; their headquarters are on the Island of Valor."

Ike, with his regal tone, asks, "Who is their commander?"

Nils answered the King of Daein, "The beorc commander, Zephiel, is the king of Bern; Sacae and Ilia were swiftly captured. Lycia, Nabata and Etruria, all three beorc nations, are allied to fight Bern; General Roy leads them instead of his father, General Eliwood. Majesty, the mastermind that set the continent of Elibe awash in blood is not Zephiel, however, but a princess of Goldoa long thought to be dead: Idoun."

Jill asks the laguz bard, "How is she related to Dheginsea? And what would you suggest that Daein do to help Elibe? And is Hatari really the last stronghold of laguz on this continent?" At this moment, Nils claims that the capital city of Hatari, Arcadia, is a place known to host a large community of dragon laguz.

Rutger, in doubt, "At least I can enter human… er, beorc civilization without having to fear being killed. Daein is aware that Mordred, the king of Etruria, has been captured by corrupt Etrurian nobles." The laguz dancer says that the only one that Ike could possibly send to command the force that would rescue Mordred from their hands is now under Renais' payroll…

Her brother, shrouded in doubt, says, "Pelleas? No… He has captured the western half of Grado but he had the help of Kilvas and Duessel, not to count Lovestospooch… Who else could we send to recapture the Western Isles?"

Maiel pleaded, "Majesty, I will go in Pelleas' stead. If we can take the Western Isles back from Etruria… Caledonia will have recovered its liberty. But many people wouldn't be aware of Daein's presence, although some pirates from there already had their shares of confrontations with the Daein Navy." Rutger then says that the common people, the slaves, but also the people in this place that do not engage in piracy or banditry have a mitigated vision of Daein: the fishers and the merchants that are picked on by pirates regard Daein as their protector. However, some laguz that exiled to the Western Isles have nightmares about Daein. General Echidna, the beorc commander-in-chief for Caledonia, however, requests that any allies send reinforcements so they can take back Castle Idina…

However, far back in Grado, Lute noticed a small hole in the tent containing the latrinae, with Artur in them. The unsuspecting monk (or bishop?) didn't notice there was a hole in the tent and so Lute could watch his back and try kicking the (heavy?) bottom out of an eventual spy. In fact, there really was something but not anything to do with any enemy, more like…

Artur screams, "Eeeeeeeeeekkkk! A spider! How it could get here?"

Artur put on his clothes and he squashed the spider, finally getting out of the tent. Lute can't help herself laughing at the incident, though in a muffled manner. There was no Bael in this corner, so he could rest easy not having to use his magic for fighting a monster within the bivouac. As it is now, he continues picking herbs for the meal, mainly because he is doing the cooking, or a part thereof, for the last night before the "D-Day", as he called it, for tomorrow night would be the beginning of the siege.

In Grado Keep, some people couldn't even sleep…

A Grado Archer exclaimed, "I can't seem to sleep anymore: the Laguz League is on the move… These sub-humans really want to consume us!"

Aion, a Thunder Sage, tried to reassure the archer, "Sir, this does not compare to Bern. I was sent to northern Bern because Zephiel's predecessor wanted to fight the Taliver Bandits, led by Count Taliver. We Grado fight alongside Begnion because we're bound to a blood pact. However, if we still live, in the event we are defeated, we will fight against Begnion instead."

Gothmog, a Wyvern Master, pitches in too, "Bern does not fight like Begnion; in fact, their reasons to fight are diametrically opposite. Zephiel wants to give the land back to the dragon laguz, unlike Begnion who wants to exterminate the laguz as a whole. Daein's forces are stretched thin, so we cannot expect to fight too many Daeins. Daein fights on two fronts, if Begnion spies are correct."

Aion told the group, "Remember the Scouring… 200 years before the Demon King's defeat. This was to be the largest laguz massacre before Serenes Forest. For what I can remember, dragons and oxygen-breathing creatures, laguz and beorc, fought during the Scouring and the Legendary Weapons, of which only some of them are actually wielded somehow…"

Thir commander, Roark, asked in disbelief, "What kind of nonsense is this? Do you expect the Legendary Weapons of the World to have triggered some kind of cataclysm?" Aion answered the general's question, "Because their power twisted the laws of physics, the gods responded via the Ending Winter."

Meanwhile, at the other end of the world, Hatari nobles hired some mercenaries, both beorc and laguz, to help fend off corrupt Etrurian and Bern forces and, eventually, retake their Lycian stronghold, Castle Ostia. The Royal Guard is led by the queen's confidante, Volug. However, there is a beorc mercenary captain whose role in the plan is to defeat the mages under General Randy's command. To this end, they must make a run for the sewers. But then, Yvan must use his magic, despite his cavalry armor, if he was attacked until he could capture a horse. Before then, he uses his paladin's caparison as something to protect him against sandstorms. Once he found the horse, he would replace the caparison…

Yvan asks his men, "Everyone is ready?" Nino answers by another question, "Sir, are you all right? Are you really from Crimea as you claim? If not, we may have something in common."

Yvan answers her, "Not really, either. You must promise not to reveal this to our employers or else! I once was at Etruria's service. Once King Mordred was captured, I was banned from Etrurian service. I was a mage, once considered for the Royal Guard, but I was suspected to harbour Prince Mildain while I have no connection to him."

However, a throng of Bern soldiers just arrived and blocked their way, with Nino carrying the flag of Crimea in one hand. Their superior, Ledger, was shouting from above, astride his wyvern:

Ledger shouted, "The Crimean Army is attacking!" Randy immediately orders the Wyvern Master, "Do not let a single one escape!"

Neither Bern nor the corrupted Etrurians never expected Crimea to come at Hatari's aid, even with a meager force. A Sword Knight got stabbed by Yvan's spear and his enemy got off the horse, then crushed by the heavy footsteps of his own countrymen. Yvan makes it quick so he could put his caparison on his horse while his men fights the enemy with magic and steel. An enemy that was surprised to see Crimea make it this far; they never expected Crimea, or even Daein, to fight either with or against Bern. For some reason, Yvan has his sword up in the air and casts an Elfire spell at Ledger, the Wyvern Lord, who nosedived into Yvan with the intent of fighting him from above. As a result he fell from the wyvern, afire and his sword drawn.

At the same time, Nino was out fighting a group that comprised a Shaman, a Mage, a Monk, two Archers, a Cavalier, six Soldiers, an Halberdier and a Warrior, led by a Swordmaster, Senecal.

Senecal exclaims herself, "You may have outsmarted us, Crimean pieces of filth, but your lives as bungholes end here!" Nino shouts back, "We are not the Crimean Royal Knights!" A few moments later, on the burning sand, Senecal orders her men to extinguish them. Nino exclaims, "Funny you phrased it this way!"

At this moment, she casts a Bolganone spell, with an… empty book! Surprisingly, it seemed that her memory was strong enough to remember all the fine intricacies of this advanced fire spell without the need of an actual spellbook. This was enough to burn the sand below her enemies, but she realized long ago that she could use her extreme memory to fool enemies somehow. So extreme, in fact, that she accomplished many covert missions in areas of Bern where anti-intellectualism ran rampant. For one to accomplish extraordinary feats of memory was considered a sign one possessed great magical power.

Yvan tells Nino his plan, "I'm necessary for your plan to work! I'll face the Swordmaster and the Warrior; if he orders anyone else in the fray, I will cut him down as well." Nino then told him, "Go ahead; I won't prevent you."

As Yvan crossed swords with Senecal, he realized that, instead of killing her, he could take her as a prisoner in tow, when she was disarmed because of the burning sand that burned her sword hand, and thus had her hands bound, thrown into the Hatari sewers, as though the wolf laguz would catch her. From now on, her fate is under the hands of the Hatari nobles. And the rest of her men that survived Nino's spell are also made prisoners, all of which are handed over to Hatari authorities. Yvan mutters, "Dang it! The Bern and the corrupt Etrurians are still coming at us!"

Yvan is most proficient with a sword, even more than Makalov, but he would feather enemy, corrupted Ilians to a quill, whether with his sword or his bow, although he trained with the bow as part of magic experiments. At one point in his magical training, Yvan wondered whether he wanted to continue training as a mage or he would turn into a Sword Knight instead. But their enemies feathered to a quill, he could direct his men to fight the main body of the Bern army. Yvan orders his men, "Everyone hold! The enemy is turning back to their camp!" But the fight wasn't over. Or at least, they didn't expect the fight to be over. And it worked: the enemy was led to believe that Crimean Royal Knights are magic-proficient. Or better trained than the Lycian "scrubs" that they defeated until coming to fight Hatari. He even witnessed a Soldier that promoted to Halberdier just after a Myrmidon became a Swordmaster as well. As his band returned to its quarters in Arcadia, there is something that remained uneasy between the two.

Yvan tells the sage woman, "Last time I saw you, a few years ago, you were living a happy life with Jaffar. Why was he killed? If he was alive he would fight alongside Hatari, Lycia and the Etrurian Loyalists." Nino then tells him that Jaffar died because Bern bounty hunters captured him and he was executed. Since then, she remained alone, earning her keep as a scholar. Yvan says that he understands it's a painful part of her life. "Anyway, you're the only woman left for me. For me, you're the smartest woman in the world. Smarter than me even" he says.

Nino answers, "Thank you… but I don't quite show for it. I can feel that somewhere, there is a woman even smarter than I am. Erk, Pent and Canas are somewhere in Hatari but nowhere in Arcadia." Yvan tells her the plan he is to use if Arcadia remains, "we will go to the Lycian border." Nino states that even if House Cornwell has been rebuilt by the enemy, the corrupt Etrurian nobles, they have no definite ruler. He is the only one that could possibly lay claim to House Cornwell and it's the only way the couple can get this straightened out.

Yvan says that the old House Cornwell traces its roots back to Crimea. The Queen's grandmother had a few siblings, one of which was married to House Cornwell. That one became one of the targets for corruption charges because House Ostia then deemed Crimea the land of corruption. Crimea tried, under King Ramon (and Elincia as well), to prove that Crimea (or House Crimea) never was corrupted. Knowing this, Nino thought, "They'd _really_ believe we are Crimean instead, if our plan succeeds! All we need is to capture Castle Cornwell, under Lord Dory, the heir-apparent of Cornwell. But we aren't there yet so we cannot formulate any battle plan."

Yvan tells her a few details about his flight from the Etrurian palace, "When I left the palace of Etruria, I got enough money to purchase a white cavalry armor, a bit of graphite, green dyes and a piece of blanket large enough to make a caparison and a stripe out of it. As I did some mercenary work along the way, I earned enough money to procure a sword, and later, some recruits so we could fight bandits and the forces of the corrupt Etrurian nobles. I was given a horse when I was given my initial mission to Hatari."

The other men in Yvan's contingent of mercenaries didn't even have a clue about either what Crimea or graphite was. They asked him questions about both things.

Yvan answers to his men that Crimea is a country on another continent, the only diplomatic ties any country on this continent Crimea has is with Hatari and graphite is a black dye that can be used to draw fine lines when you use a graphite rod with a narrow tip, either on parchment or fabrics.

Nino continues, "Your commander is a true Crimean after all. When he was about 4 years old, he was aboard a ship when his ship was caught astray in a storm. He was orphaned and adopted by an Etrurian myrmidon family. To many who knew him up close afterwards, he is not a Crimean-born person. However, he does come from a minor noble house of Crimea. He was a natural genius to my eyes just as I was a natural genius to his. Who knows… if we fight bravely here, maybe he'll resurface in the Crimean files. Or that he would make a name for himself here."

Ray and Lugh, who fled Araphen because of their orphanage harbouring laguz, got up to Hatari only a few days back. Said orphanage was raided by Bern and some of the laguz, none of which was from the dragon tribe, were captured, while most of the beorc escaped the disaster. The twins go back and reunite with their mother…

Lugh found his mother at long last, "Nino! It was years we were looking for you, Mother. Eventually, your tracks led to Hatari but Ray here was thinking that siding with Hatari will only bring us bad fate..."

Ray tells them the sad tale of their escape from Araphen, "More than this, our father was slaughtered in this attack and the orphanage was razed to the ground after they found a few wolf laguz in this place… There was only one nation we could turn to if we did not turn to Lycia. Ilia was not willing to host magic users among their army, and Sacae only recruited Shamans. Etruria was heavily corrupted, and Caledonia lacked the refinement to go for intellect. Hatari did not mind working with beorc if it could bring them victory over Bern!"

Lugh claims, "But we didn't want to go overseas, although Daein could have harboured us pretty easily. Its king is a staunch defender of laguz rights." Yvan pitches in, "But, for now, you need to pledge your allegiance to House Crimea. We're all that Crimea was able to send. Your mother is now under Crimea's service."

He hid to his wife's children from a previous marriage that he really only lived his early childhood in Crimea, not deeming the moment ripe for it. But now, we all know where Jaffar died and where the bounty hunters captured him. Knowing this, this family now has a new reason to fight against Bern: they killed their father.

Nino tells the children their plan, "The siege tower is so massive it required a thousand men to man it. All we have to do is to burn the thing to the ground before it reaches the wall, or at least wreck it. Who here can cast wind spells?"

Lugh says, "I will give it a try."

As he began his attack run, the whole Bern camp is swept by a tornado that destroyed most of the camp, including the largest siege engines. Nino finished the camp by concentrating all the power she could have in this one spell and she overloaded her brain to do this. It destroyed much of their equipment and killed many Bern soldiers but she became exhausted, so all three people had to carry her to a cot, so she may recover. The next day, Randy saw the horror in his own camp and decided to fight Nailah head-on. Yvan shouts to his men, "This is our chance to escape!"

Nailah stops him, "Escape? Not really… You are to command the refugee forces in a mission that leads from Hatari in order to recapture Lycian castles. We have found documentation that proved your noble lineage among a crate of rugs not so long ago. I'm afraid I cannot spare any laguz for this mission." Yvan asked Her Majesty, at this moment, "A crate of rugs? Whose seal did it carry?" The Wolf Queen answers, "There were parchments hidden in the rug shipment. The documents themselves carry the seal of House Crimea. Raven's father was of royal blood, a brother of Elincia's grandfather, but Raven himself was born years after King Ramon. But in that time, siblings of kings that could not possibly succeed them on the throne were often cast out of the highest honors and they form/join less important noble houses."

Yvan requestd, "Let me see these documents for myself!"

Now, he fully understood why House Ostia framed Crimea for House Cornwell's corruption. Because House Ostia feared that Crimea interfered in House Cornwell's affairs, for the whole house came from a scion of the Crimean royal family. Said scion's family has shrunk to such an extent in Crimea's chain of command that this house is considered a minor noble house.

Yvan tells everyone that Lord Dory is an imposter from another house, and that Raven and Priscilla made no claim to House Cornwell, since they relinquished their nobility to avoid further harm.

A severely scorched Randy was duelling Volug instead, by the southern gate. The beorc refugees packed up; Nino had a healer tend to her exhaustion, so she could leave and march on Cornwell, a territory in southwestern Lycia, along with the beorc refugees from Lycia. As they march through the desert…

A Refugee shouted, in the middle of the desert, "Bern! It's Bern!"


End file.
